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 NARRATIVE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 LATE VICTORIOUS CAMPAIGN 
 
 IN 
 
 AFFGHANISTAN, 
 
 UNDER GENERAL POLLOCK; 
 
 WITH RECOLLECTIONS OF 
 
 SEVEN YEARS' SERVICE IN INDIA. 
 
 LIEUTENANT GREENWOOD, 
 
 H.M. 31st REGIMENT. 
 
 WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER 
 GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 
 
 1844. 
 
a, 
 
 S-7 
 
 LONDON 
 
 Printed by Schulze and Co, 13, Poland Street. 
 
 
TO 
 
 MAJOR GENERAL SIR COLIN HALKETT, 
 
 KNIGHT COMMANDER OF THE BATH, 
 
 GRAND CROSS OF THE GUELPHIC ORDER, 
 
 COLONEL OF THE 31 St REGIMENT. 
 
 &C. &C. &C. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I feel very great satisfaction in availing myself 
 of the permission which you have given me to 
 dedicate to you the accompanying Narrative. 
 The urbanity and consideration which have inva- 
 riably marked your conduct towards those under 
 your command, claim at their hands the best 
 tribute of respect which they may be able to 
 render. 
 
 With the highest regard, 
 
 I have the honour to remain, Sir, 
 
 Your most obliged and humble servant, 
 
 The Author. 
 
ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 It may be necessary for the Author to state 
 that the present volume was commenced from 
 a simple desire of laying before his countrymen 
 such details relative to the late victorious Cam- 
 paign in Affghanistan, as occurred under his own 
 immediate observation and experience. He ven- 
 tures to hope that the plain unvarnished narra- 
 tive of the strange circumstances, and of the hard- 
 ships and dangers encountered and surmounted 
 by our gallant soldiers in the far East, will not 
 prove unacceptable to the numerous readers who 
 must feel interested in their perilous adventures 
 and exploits, which so materially conduced to 
 determine the extent of the British rule in India 
 at the present moment. 
 
 The writer has, moreover, endeavoured to re- 
 cord his impressions of the wonders that every 
 
VI ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 where greeted him on his arrival in the East, the 
 plains and jungles of which attracted his ardour as 
 a sportsman ; and he trusts that the few precepts 
 and lessons which he has introduced for the be- 
 nefit of his younger u brothers in arms," as well 
 as for those who are about to embrace the pro- 
 fession^ may not be altogether without their value. 
 
 J. Greenwood. 
 
 Cumberland Terrace, 
 Regent's Park, 
 March 1844. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Page 
 
 Original destination Early visions of greatness Ha- 
 nover and its Military Academy A commission 
 obtained, and its first effects on the mind The 
 depot and its occupations Preparations for India, 
 and advice to young officers 1 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Author embarks for India Shipmasters on shore dif- 
 ferent persons from shipmasters at sea Reflections 
 on leaving home Story of a shark The flying 
 Dutchman Catching turtle in a calm First sight 
 of India Pilot comes on board Anecdote of a 
 tiger Shooting at Diamond Harbour Arrival at 
 Calcutta Indian servants Indian cities The beg- 
 gars Fakirs Marriage processions Hospitality of 
 the European residents of Calcutta . . . .18 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 March up the country Shooting on the road Sight 
 of a tiger Killing a bear A shot at a fakir 
 Making bear's grease A sirloin of bear's flesh 
 Pariah dogs Jungle fever H.M. 49th Regiment 
 Dak travelling Arrival at Dinapore . . .42 
 
Vlll CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Page 
 
 Sporting at Dinapore Snipe shooting Tiger hunt- 
 ing Indigo planters at Tirhoot Anecdote of a 
 lion A Tiger hunter in an unpleasant situation 
 Jungle fowl Runaway elephants Jungle bees 
 Catching wild elephants Sagacity of elephants 
 Hog hunting A pig-sticking griff Bobbery pack- 
 Treatment of dogs and horses Syces and grass- 
 cutters Horse-dealers Races Sailing on the 
 Ganges Anecdotes Sporting griffs, &c. . . 63 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Departure from Dinapore Station of Ghazeepore . 
 Attah of roses Duck- shooting Indian thieves 
 Showers of fish Fruits The pine-apple Snakes, 
 musk-rats and mosquitoes Agra The Taj Mahal 
 
 . Ruins Wolves Famine at Agra Sporting at Agra 
 Grand entertainment given by the Rajah of Bhurt- 
 pore Ice establishment 9S 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Rumours of war Departure from Agra Arrival at 
 Meerut March towards Affghanistan Women of 
 the 44th The Begum Sumroo Manufacture of 
 shawls at Loodianah Camels Cross the Sutledge 
 The Punjab Loss of baggage The irregular horse 
 Forced marches The Seiks Crossing rivers 
 Cheyt Sing Burial of the dead, &c. . . . 123 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Arrival at Peshawur General Avitabili Entertain- 
 ments Nautch girls Hurree Singh The Kyber 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 pass Ali Musjid Scarcity of water Heroism of a 
 Sepoy Brigadier Monteath Skirmish with Kybe- 
 rees Jellalabad 151 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 March to Pesh Bolak Destruction of forts Death of 
 two officers Their graves outraged The Shinwar- 
 rees Battle of Mazeena Heroic conduct of four 
 soldiers of H.M. 31st Regiment Return to Jellala- 
 bad Sickness in camp March towards Cabul 
 Remains of the 44th Forcing the Jugdulluck pass 
 Dead bodies in the pass Narrow escapes Kutta- 
 sung A take in for the Affghans A forced march 
 Arrival at Tezeen 178 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Valley of Tezeen Night attack Battle of Tezeen 
 Storming the left heights A charge of bayonets 
 A fat chief Arrival at Koord Cabul Scene within 
 the pass Arrival at Cabul Rescue of the priso- -, 
 ners Noble conduct of Akbar Khan Capture of 
 Cabul British Flag hoisted in the Bala Hissar 
 Artillery taken Extraordinary recovery of a Will . 
 Arrival of General Nott Battle of Istaliff Destruc- 
 tion of Cabul .209 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 General Elphinstone's retreat Errors committed 
 Dr. Brydon His perilous escape General Pollock 
 issues orders to retrograde Difficulties of the march 
 The Koord Cabul pass Conveyance of an Aff- 
 ghan trophy Narrow escape of a courier Jugdul- 
 
X CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 luck Engagement with the Affghans Luxurious 
 repast Gundamuck Futtiabad Jellalabad . . 246 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Destruction of Jellalabad Passage of the Choota Ky- 
 ber The Kyber pass A forced march Peshawur 
 The Punjab Mortality among the soldiers The 
 triumphal arch Arrival at Ferozepore A dak trip 
 A storm Difficulties by the way Drunken Seiks 
 Arrival at Meerut , m . 27-7 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Station of Meerut Dak trip to Calcutta Station of 
 Allahabad Benares Beggars The Rajmahal hills 
 A Tiger A wild elephant Arrival at Calcutta 
 Author embarks for England Fishing off the coast 
 of Africa Table Bay Cape Town St. Helena 
 A gale of wind An Irish hooker Kinsale An 
 Irish steamer An accident Arrival at home . .311 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. Supplementary. 
 
 Remarks on India The Indian Army Native Regi- 
 ments Singular feat Lieutenant Mayne Horse 
 artillery Captain Abbot's troop Foot artillery 
 Costume and pay Penurious system The sepoys 
 Local corps Officer's pensions Pay of officers 
 A subaltern's expenses " Boat allowance" Troops 
 in the Presidencies Anglo-Indian army The Seiks - 
 The Zemindars Affairs of the Punjab Hopes 
 for the future 338 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Heroic conduct of Four Privates of H.M. 31st 
 
 Regiment at the Battle of Mazeena . Frontispiece. 
 Fort of Jumrood, in the Plain of Peshawur . .154 
 Fort of Allee Musjid, in the Kyber Pass . .157 
 
 City and Valley of Cabul 237 
 
 Bala Hissar, or Citadel, at Cabul . . .235 
 Map of Affghanistan, and of the Route pursued 
 by the British Army to Cabul. . End of the volume. 
 
NARRATIVE, 
 
 &c. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Original destination Early visions of greatness Hanover 
 and its Military Academy A commission obtained, and 
 its first effects on the mind The depot and its occu- 
 pationsPreparations for India, and advice to young 
 officers. 
 
 Great individuals are often ushered into the 
 world by strange events. None of these porten- 
 tous signs, I believe, occurred at my nativity. I 
 entered upon this busy universe of ours in a 
 very common-place manner, without shewing any 
 particular signs of one day being likely to set the 
 Thames on fire, or of performing any equally 
 extraordinary feat. 
 
2 EARLY VISIONS. 
 
 My dear mother intended me for the Church, 
 in which, of course, I was to be a shining light ; 
 in fact, nothing but the Archbishopric of Canter- 
 bury seemed to her fond imagination to be the 
 goal which I was destined to attain. Reading I 
 delighted in as a child; but the lives of Lord 
 Nelson, our illustrious Duke, and Napoleon Buo- 
 naparte were the themes on which I doated ; and 
 while my kind parents delighted their fond hearts 
 with the idea of what a scholar their dear studious 
 boy would one day be, I was treasuring up in my 
 young mind the accounts of all my heroes' bat- 
 tles, and hugging the thought, foolish child as 
 I was, that one day my achievements might rival 
 theirs, and England ring again with the story of 
 my victories. That was the age of romance, and 
 it passed away ; but when I arrived at maturer 
 years, I still determined to be nothing but a sol- 
 dier. Then, however, instead of leading armies 
 and ruling the destinies of empires, the command 
 of a regiment was the summit of my hopes. 
 
 My kind parents, although disappointed in 
 their anticipations of my becoming a learned 
 prelate, lent their best endeavours to forward 
 my views in the only profession that I would 
 hear of. But a commission was not quite to 
 be had for the asking; and on application they 
 heard that some months, perhaps years, must 
 
PASSAGE TO HAMBURG. 3 
 
 elapse before I had any chance of obtaining a 
 legitimate right to be shot at for five and three- 
 pence a-day, which, be it known to my non- 
 militant readers, is the pay of an ensign in the 
 army. 
 
 An old friend of my father, a distinguished 
 military officer, recommended my being sent to 
 spend the intervening time in Germany, there to 
 lay the foundation of a military education, which 
 might be of service to me in after years. Ac- 
 cordingly, I was started in a steamer to Hamburg, 
 whence, for the first time master of my own 
 actions, I was to find my way to Hanover where 
 I was duly expected at a species of military 
 academy kept by an officer formerly, I believe, 
 belonging to the German Legion. To effect this 
 object, my indulgent father had given me more 
 money than I ever dreamt of so soon possessing ; 
 and as I paced the deck, and jingled the gold in 
 my pocket, I fancied myself a millionnaire about to 
 create no little sensation in the weak minds of 
 the foreigners among whom I was to sojourn. 
 
 On board the vessel I had a small division 
 allotted to me for a bed, much resembling one of 
 the shelves in my dear mother's linen-closet, and 
 in which I could neither lie down nor sit upright ; 
 while above me I had a Russian officer who 
 suffered dreadfully with the maladie de mer, and 
 
 b 2 
 
4 HANOVER. 
 
 a German underneath who never got out of bed 
 during the whole time we were on board, and did 
 nothing but drink schnapps, and follow the 
 example of my northern friend in the upper 
 shelf. This was rather too much of a good 
 thing, and as I suffered none of the inconvenience 
 to which my fellow voyagers were martyrs, I 
 remained on deck and picked out the softest 
 plank I could find for a couch, decidedly prefer- 
 ring a bivouac in the open air to the vile atmos- 
 phere below. 
 
 Most persons have been on board a steamer, 
 and all steamers are very much alike, the same 
 rumbling, grumbling, and groaning of machinery ; 
 the same thump, thump, thump of the paddle- 
 wheels; the same abominable smells in every 
 part of the vessel; and the same odd-looking 
 people among the passengers. In due course of 
 time we arrived at Hamburg, where I remained a 
 few days, and then proceeded to my destination. 
 
 Hanover is, or was in my time, a dull place, 
 inhabited by dull people, who gave dull parties, 
 with a great deal of ceremony, and very little to 
 eat. But there was a nice little theatre there, 
 and the music was superlatively good. This is 
 generally the case in Germany, the musical taste 
 of the people being too well cultivated to allow of 
 their listening to any but the best performances. 
 
FOREIGN MILITARY ACADEMIES. 5 
 
 Lounging in the shops the greater part of the 
 day, and then passing the evening at the opera, 
 were the usual expedients which the young En- 
 glishmen there made use of to kill the time, 
 which their friends in England no doubt per- 
 suaded themselves was devoted to their studies. 
 I think it a decided mistake for parents to send 
 their sons to any establishment on the continent. 
 They can learn nothing there that could not be 
 taught them better at home, and the terms of 
 these places are generally very exorbitant. 
 
 I think nothing more desirable for the young 
 military aspirant than travel on the continent; 
 but his time would be better employed in making 
 a tour, with a competent person to attend him, 
 than wasting it at any species of academy, and 
 the cost would be decidedly less. Indeed I have 
 heard the observation from many young men 
 whom I knew at Hanover and have since met, 
 that the bills sent home to their friends from 
 Germany, greatly exceeded what a first-rate edu- 
 cation would have cost at either Oxford or Cam- 
 bridge. 
 
 I learned to smoke the Meershaum, to shoot 
 with the rifle, and use the broad-sword, accom- 
 plishments in which the Germans decidedly 
 shine. Their rifles are first-rate, but their fowl- 
 ing-pieces are contemptible ; they are vilely made, 
 
6 A COMMISSION. 
 
 and shoot most execrably. It is an extraordinary 
 thing that the Germans cannot use the fowling- 
 piece with any degree of skill, while as rifle 
 shots they are unrivalled. I made the acquaint- 
 ance of the jagers at the Jager-hof at Hanover, 
 and was always invited to join the great boar 
 hunts in the royal forests, which are really worth 
 seeing. 
 
 In about a year and a half from the time that my 
 name was placed on the Commander-in-chiefs list 
 for an ensigncy, I was recalled home, and shortly 
 afterwards came the long wished-for missive from 
 
 the Horse-Guards, addressed to Ensign G , 
 
 of the 31st Regiment of Foot, then in Bengal. 
 Never shall I forget the feelings with which I 
 rushed up to my mother's room to show her the 
 important document* I felt I had my foot on 
 the first step of the ladder by which I was to 
 mount to the summit of my ambition. Had I 
 been made a peer of the realm I should not have 
 felt prouder than I did with that letter in my 
 pocket ; and when my dear father bade me remem- 
 ber that the Duke of Wellington's career com- 
 menced in India, and smilingly asked why mine 
 should not be as glorious, I thought not of the 
 weary years that must roll by, ere I could hope to 
 command even a company. I was an ensign, 
 that was certain : and that I should shortly be a 
 

 A COMMISSION. 7 
 
 colonel, was equally so. Eight years seemed 
 almost an eternity in those days quite the tran- 
 sition from youth to age ; yet eight years have 
 passed away, and I look back as if it were but 
 yesterday, at my boyish dream, and wonder what 
 my feelings then would have been could I have 
 foreseen that I should only have mounted the 
 second step of the ladder in so great a lapse of 
 time. 
 
 Fortunately the letter came after breakfast, or I 
 certainly should have eaten none that day. I 
 rushed at once to my tailor, and gave him no 
 peace until my uniform was sent home. On the 
 day it came there was a review in Hyde Park, 
 and I thought it would be a glorious opportunity 
 of shewing off my fine feathers; but I had to 
 send for the man of stitches to instruct me how 
 to put on my sword-belt and tie the sash, which 
 were quite beyond my comprehension. Down I 
 marched at last, feeling very uncomfortable in my 
 new habiliments which, with a total disregard of 
 comfort, I had ordered to be made exceedingly 
 tight. If I was not the finest fellow there that 
 day, I thought I was, and that was quite suffi- 
 cient for me. 
 
 I took good care to salute every private I saw, 
 after the manner common to young ensigns ; and 
 returned home quite satisfied with myself, and 
 
8 JOINING THE DEPOT. 
 
 the appearance I had made, nothing doubting 
 but that I carried with me the hearts of most of 
 the young ladies who had been unlucky enough 
 to see me. 
 
 A few days afterwards I had a far better oppor- 
 tunity of again indulging the world with a sight 
 of my fine clothes. I was presented to his late 
 Majesty, and had the height of my vanity grati- 
 fied by being saluted by the Life Guardsmen on 
 the stairs. I ran up and down two or three 
 times to make them do it again, and returned 
 home in a transport of delight, which I believe 
 none ever felt but young ensigns under similar 
 circumstances. I thought that every one at the 
 levee had had his eyes fixed on me, totally for- 
 getting that had that been the case, instead of an 
 Adonis, they would only have seen a short, stout 
 boy in a red coat, with nothing very remarkable 
 in his appearance in any way. 
 
 I could not bear my plain clothes after the 
 regimentals, and longed to enter on my new 
 duties ; so before the usual two months' leave of 
 absence was expired, I reported myself to Cap- 
 tain B., then commanding the depot of my regi- 
 ment at Chatham garrison. 
 
 On joining the depot I was at once handed 
 over to a serjeant to be initiated in the mysteries 
 of the drill of a recruit. This was a horrid bore. 
 
RECRUITS 5 DRILL. 9 
 
 The commencement was absolutely intolerable, 
 and rather disgusted me with the reality of my 
 new life. It really appeared so ridiculous for one 
 who certainly imagined himself rather a distin- 
 guished person than otherwise, to be with two or 
 three other ensigns stuck on the right of a squad 
 of very awkward recruits, dressed in precisely 
 similar jackets to theirs of coarse red cloth, and 
 leaden buttons, with a hectoring serjeant making 
 the most of his brief authority in such words as 
 these : 
 
 "Now, Mr. A, head up, if you please, sir. 
 Shoulders square, Mr. B. Now, if you please, 
 gentlemen, attention stand at ease Hion. 
 Now, gentlemen, if you please. To the right. 
 Too quick that time, Mr. A. To the right face ! 
 As you were ! When I says as you were, I 
 means as you was," &c. &c. &c. 
 
 This, however, did not last long ; and the best 
 thing a young man on joining can possibly do, is 
 to give his whole attention to it, and he will 
 soon be dismissed as perfect. It is a most 
 necessary ordeal, although young ensigns gene- 
 rally think otherwise ; for no officer can possibly 
 reprove an awkward man in his company with any 
 effect when he is known to be deficient himself. 
 
 I should recommend young men who may be 
 gazetted to regiments in India, not to join the 
 
 B 3 
 
10 PREPARATIONS FOR INDIA. 
 
 depot, but to obtain leave from the authorities at 
 the Horse- Guards at once to join their regiments. 
 This I believe is always granted on application, as 
 well as the government allowance of 95 passage 
 money, paid to the ship master with whom they 
 may make a bargain for a cabin. For this sum a 
 passage may always be obtained with a separate 
 cabin. The masters of ships ask more, but none 
 of them will refuse it if they find they cannot 
 persuade you into increasing the amount. Chat- 
 ham is decidedly anything but a good school for 
 young men. The officers are mostly strangers to 
 each other: here to-day and gone to-morrow; and, 
 belonging as they do to so many different regi- 
 ments, will not be bothered with offering advice 
 to young men, which probably would not be 
 taken when they are not attached to their own 
 particular corps. This is different when the 
 regiment is joined. There is a species of free- 
 masonry among the members of every corps, 
 which will insure to the young recruit the advice 
 of experienced heads, whenever he is disposed to 
 seek it, and very often without his doing so, if 
 his seniors take an interest in him, which they 
 assuredly will do, in every gentlemanly and well- 
 disposed young man. 
 
 There is a subject connected with his voyage to 
 India to which I would direct the particular 
 
PREPARATIONS FOR INDIA. 11 
 
 attention of the young recruit. I mean the 
 selection of his outfit. The persons who make 
 their livelihood by providing these things, invari- 
 ably persuade their victim that he will require hosts 
 of articles which he hardly ever heard of before, 
 or knows the use of, independently of giving him 
 at least three times the proper quantity of those 
 which are really necessary. And what with 
 soldering up in tin all those things which he is to 
 find so indispensable, and various other expedients 
 which they will use to swell out their bills, they 
 generally make the outfit amount to pretty nearly 
 the price of the first commission, and in some 
 instances I have known it exceeded. I will now 
 give a list of what is necessary for the comfort 
 and respectability of a young officer proceeding 
 to join his regiment in India: 
 
 One regimental coatee 
 
 One pair epaulettes 
 
 One blue frock coat 
 
 One pair shoulder-straps 
 
 Two shell jackets, of cashmerette, or other light 
 materials 
 
 One cloth ditto 
 
 Materials for another of cloth, not made up 
 
 Four pair cloth regulation trousers 
 
 One sword 
 
 Two sashes 
 
12 PREPARATIONS FOR INDIA. 
 
 One buff belt with breast-plate 
 
 Two forage caps 
 
 One chaco 
 
 Two sword-knots 
 
 One pair of pistols. 
 
 I have not mentioned linen, people having 
 different ideas respecting the quantity which will 
 be necessary for four or five months' wear. Per- 
 haps six-dozen shirts, the same number of socks, 
 and four dozen of towels will be enough. A few 
 can always be washed on board, if your man 
 collects water in buckets whenever it rains, which 
 it frequently does about the line most heavily. 
 
 The full-dress coat is seldom worn in India, 
 not more on an average than four or five times 
 a-year. One, therefore, is quite sufficient. Not 
 so in England, where the officers dine in their 
 full-dress coats every day, wear them at many 
 parades, and mount guard in them. Under these 
 circumstances, it is of course necessary to have 
 two ; one for all- work, and another to wear on 
 state occasions, when young ladies are to be 
 captivated at balls, dinner-parties, &c. 
 
 Nor is the blue frock much worn. In some 
 regiments officers never appear at parades in 
 them. The shell-jacket is worn at all parades 
 and duties of every kind ; and, as red cloth is 
 very expensive in India, and difficult to be 
 
PREPARATIONS FOR INDIA. 13 
 
 obtained, I recommend four to be taken out, 
 three made-up, and materials for another. At 
 mess, officers generally wear white jackets. These 
 should not be purchased in England. They are 
 to be obtained quite as well made in India, at a 
 quarter the price, and there is generally a regi- 
 mental pattern, which must be strictly adhered 
 to. White trousers should also be obtained in 
 India, the cost of them there, made of American 
 drill, which is the material always worn, is about 
 six or seven shillings a-pair. Those furnished by 
 English tailors will not stand three washings, 
 which indeed is the case with all articles made of 
 linen cloth. 
 
 The natives wash clothes very differently to the 
 method adopted in England. The dhobies, or 
 washermen, have a large board, purposely made 
 very rough on one side. This they take down to 
 the river, and after wetting the clothes, beat them 
 upon it. Indeed they often beat them between 
 two stones. Cotton cloth stands this pounding 
 pretty well, but linen is destroyed at once. 
 
 I would not recommend portable chests of 
 drawers to be taken out. They may be purchased 
 in Calcutta for about 3, equal to those which 
 cost 10 at home. The bullock trunks also are 
 made too large in England. No Indian bullock 
 could carry them when full. I have seen some 
 
14 PREPARATIONS FOR INDIA. 
 
 on so large a scale, that I am sure it would be be- 
 yond the power of the wretched beasts commonly 
 procurable to carry even the empty boxes. A 
 very good pair can be bought in India, with straps 
 complete, for about l 10s. I suppose a London 
 trunk-maker would charge 5 for inferior trunks. 
 Neither should expensive dressing-cases, or writ- 
 ing-desks be taken out; they invariably go to 
 pieces during the hot winds. No man ever thinks 
 of shaving himself in India. A native barber 
 comes every morning to perform that necessary 
 operation for a mere trifle per month. The best 
 description of writing-desk is a portable one of 
 Russia leather. A canteen, or portable iron bed- 
 stead, should never be taken out. They are totally 
 useless, and from their weight a great incum- 
 brance and expense ; yet the outfitter will assure 
 the young officer that they are absolutely indispen- 
 sable, and that he could not possibly do without 
 them. The consequence is, that nearly every 
 ensign that joins takes out one of each, and after 
 probably paying about as much as they originally 
 cost for carrying them hundreds of miles about 
 the country, finds he can never make any use of 
 them ; that nobody would take them even at a 
 gift, and that the cheapest plan for him to have 
 adopted at first, would have been to throw them 
 overboard during his passage out. 
 
FIRE ARMS. 15 
 
 A pair of pistols may be considered a most ne- 
 cessary part of an officer's outfit. They should not 
 be too long and heavy. Barrels about six inches 
 in length, and twenty to twenty-four bore, T 
 should recommend as the best size. They should 
 also be furnished with spring-hooks at the side to 
 fit on a belt, and the triggers should be made to 
 pull exceedingly light, or they never can be used 
 with accuracy. A general fault with pistols is 
 their being made so excessively stiff in this 
 respect that it is impossible to keep the sight on 
 the object when -firing. They ought to be pur- 
 chased of some eminent gun-maker, on whose 
 respectability dependance may be placed. 
 
 Nothing of this kind should ever be selected 
 from the stock of Birmingham rubbish with 
 which outfitters are in the habit of tempting 
 young and inexperienced persons going out. 
 They are generally got up in a very showy 
 manner, in smart cases, often with German silver 
 furniture, in order to catch the eye. Avoid them 
 they are often unsafe, and never to be depended 
 on. If the outfitters can make them go off their 
 hands, they do not care if they never go off 
 afterwards ; and certainly in many cases it would be 
 desirable if they did not, they being more likely to 
 injure the persons firing them, than any one else. 
 
 As every military man should know something 
 
16 FIRE ARMS. 
 
 of the manufacture of fire-arms, I should advise 
 those who desire information on the subject, to 
 purchase " Greener on Gunnery." Mr. Greener 
 I believe is a gun-maker at Newcastle, and 
 evidently a most scientific and superior man. I 
 was greatly gratified by the perusal of his book. 
 It affords abundance of most important informa- 
 tion, and will enable any man carefully reading 
 it, to defend himself from the chance of being 
 taken in by any of the many thousand unsafe and 
 rascally-made guns and pistols (often bearing the 
 names of our best makers) which are weekly 
 turned out at Birmingham, and not only distri- 
 buted over all the kingdom, but shipped out to 
 the colonies, where of course a reference to the 
 person whose name they bear is out of the 
 question. Many, for want of ability to detect 
 the imposition, have purchased them and lost their 
 hands, or been otherwise seriously injured by 
 using such vile imitations. Strange that people, 
 for the sake of a little gain should, with a total 
 disregard of the fatal consequences to their fellow- 
 creatures, continue to manufacture and proffer 
 for sale these regular man-traps. 
 
 A short period disgusted me with Chatham gar- 
 rison. There was no way of killing time, but 
 strolling down the town, and then strolling back 
 again, or playing at billiards from morning till 
 
CHATHAM. 1 7 
 
 night. Nothing in the way of getting up a flirta- 
 tion with a pretty girl at the pastry-cook's, or any 
 other little amusement of the kind was known 
 of. These young misses who are generally so 
 susceptible in country towns, were here so ac- 
 customed to see soldiers at every turn, that they 
 absolutely thought nothing of them : a fact decid- 
 edly any thing but gratifying to the vanity of the 
 young ensigns, who had persuaded themselves 
 that they were not to be looked upon with impu- 
 nity, whereas they were reluctantly compelled to 
 admit that the belles of Chatham had seen, and 
 not fallen in love at once, or in fact ever dreamed 
 of such a thing. Even the servant maids did not 
 cast a second look when the irresistibles passed the 
 door steps they were scrubbing. 
 
18 AUTHOR EMBARKS 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Author embarks for India Shipmasters on shore different 
 persons from shipmasters at sea Reflections on leaving 
 home> Story of a shark The flying Dutchman Catch- 
 ing turtle in a calm First sight of India Pilot comes 
 on board Anecdote of a tiger Shooting' at Diamond 
 Harbour Arrival at Calcutta Indian servants Indian 
 cities The beggars Fakirs Marriage processions 
 Hospitality of the European residents of Calcutta. 
 
 Three other young men who had been appoint- 
 ed to my regiment determined with me to cut 
 the dull life which we spent at Chatham, and to 
 go out to India at once. We accordingly applied 
 for leave to find our passage out to join the regi- 
 ment, thus making a pleasant party together. This 
 was granted, and we came to terms with the master 
 of a ship of 800 tons burthen, then lying in the 
 West India Docks. After some bargaining, we 
 each obtained a separate cabin for the government 
 
FOR INDIA. 19 
 
 allowance, and in the month of October, 1836, 
 embarked at Gravesend, nothing doubting but 
 that we were going to the finest country in the 
 world, and that we should find the master the 
 same liberal, off-handed, and good-natured fellow 
 he appeared on shore. In fact, we considered our- 
 selves especially lucky in finding such a man, 
 whose sole pleasure, he informed us, consisted in 
 trying to make his passengers happy and comfort- 
 able in his ship, and to enliven the tedious mono- 
 tony of the voyage by every means in his power. 
 They were his friends, his guests ; of course, he 
 could not afford to take them quite gratis, but he 
 made nothing by them not he ; no, the pleasure 
 of having friends around him at sea amply repaid 
 him for any pecuniary loss. 
 
 No sooner did the Captain come on board than 
 the anchor was hove up, and we proceeded to 
 Portsmouth, where the remainder of the passen- 
 gers were to embark. 
 
 The night they came on board we had a severe 
 gale of wind, and were obliged to put back to 
 Ramsgate. The first part of our voyage was thus 
 rendered very unpleasant. Most of the passengers 
 were very ill, and I almost regretted the exemp- 
 tion from sickness which I enjoyed. Few of the 
 others could leave their cabins, and the dinner and 
 breakfast tables were deserted and unsocial. If I 
 
20 DEPARTURE FROM ENGLAND. 
 
 shut myself up in my cabin, I was disturbed by 
 the moanings and complaints of my neighbours ; 
 and if I went on deck every body seemed to think 
 me in the way. The sailors were scarcely recovered 
 from the drunkenness in which their last few days 
 on shore had been spent. All was bustle and 
 disorder. Nothing seemed to be in its right place, 
 and it was with some difficulty I pushed my way 
 to the poop, which was the only place in the ship 
 not occupied by dirty half-drunken sailors in noisy 
 debate, ropes in indescribable confusion, trus- 
 ses of hay, hencoops, pigs, sheep, and passen- 
 gers' luggage. 
 
 Never until now had I thought seriously of 
 the home and friends I was leaving perhaps for 
 ever. I leant over the taffrail, and as I watched 
 the glimmering lights on shore, from which we 
 were fast departing, and listened to the moaning 
 of the wind, and the dashing of the waves under 
 the counter, I contrasted the cheerful fire, and 
 my own snug room in my father's house, with the 
 dreary sea prospect, the comfortless cabin, and 
 monotonous imprisonment which awaited me 
 here. How I longed for one look at the book of 
 futurity ! what was to be my fortune in the far 
 country to which I was going ! and how many of 
 those dear friends to whom I had so lately bid 
 adieu, and whose kindness since my earliest remem- 
 
AMUSEMENTS AT SEA. 21 
 
 brance now rose in review before me, and forced 
 itself on my recollection, might I have seen for the 
 last time ! The glad tones of welcome with which 
 they would have hailed my return to my native 
 land would be perhaps, ere then, hushed in the 
 silence of the tomb ! 
 
 A few days of fine weather completely altered 
 the face of things. Those who had been sick 
 crawled out of their cabins, and seemed to recover 
 their health and spirits almost by magic, and we 
 now began to find out something of each other's 
 characters. Some of the passengers were very 
 agreeable people, and seemed by their sociability 
 desirous of making the time we were to be to- 
 gether, hang as lightly as possible on our hands. 
 Others, as is always the case, were inclined to make 
 themselves particularly disagreeable and were dis- 
 posed to quarrel with everybody. These we soon 
 sent to Coventry, and they formed a party of 
 themselves, and tormented each other the whole 
 voyage. We invented a variety of means to 
 enliven the tedium to which we were exposed 
 got up a weekly paper, and acted plays, the la- 
 dies assisting the latter by manufacturing the 
 dresses, and wigs. 
 
 In spite of all these contrivances, however, the 
 tiTie passed slowly enough, and we found our 
 literal friend, the master, not quite the sort of 
 
22 STORY OF A SHARK. 
 
 person he had represented himself. The table 
 was kept in the most stingy and niggardly man- 
 ner, and the wines were execrable. 
 
 Sometimes we used to catch a shark, or har- 
 poon a dolphin, as he played under the bows ; a 
 good deal of fun took place in overhauling the 
 locker of the foremost fish, as the sailors call 
 searching out what he has in his stomach. We 
 found all sorts of odd things that had been drop- 
 ped from the ship days before. There is no doubt 
 that these voracious sea monsters will follow a 
 vessel hundreds of miles on her voyage. The 
 sailors believe that when any person is sick on 
 board they never leave it, knowing from a pecu- 
 liar instinct, when the malady will prove fatal, 
 and the body be thrown overboard. The truth of 
 this I do not vouch for; but the sailors will en- 
 force their narratives with many examples which 
 are startling, if true. I heard a story which is 
 curious, and I do not think unlikely. The nar- 
 rator once sailed on board a ship, he said, in 
 which there was a very near-sighted passenger 
 who always wore a pair of gold spectacles. He 
 had forgotten to provide himself with a second 
 pair, before he left, and being a man of nervous 
 temperament, he was perpetually worrying him- 
 self with the idea that by some accident or other 
 he should lose the only ones he had during the 
 
STORY OF A SHARK. 23 
 
 voyage, and thus be left for some time in a most 
 unpleasant predicament, not being able to see a 
 yard before him without the assistance of glasses. 
 Many and dire were the accidents which he was 
 sure would happen to him in the state of semi- 
 blindness to which he would be reduced, when 
 the barnacles were gone. In fact, he would be 
 afraid to venture on deck, being certain to walk 
 over-board, or fall down the companion-ladder ; 
 and how he should ever get into the boat which 
 was to take him on shore, when the ship arrived 
 at her destination, he knew not. 
 
 One day they were becalmed near the line, and a 
 large shark was seen by the officer on watch just 
 under the stern. All the passengers, our near- 
 sighted friend among them, rushed aft to see the 
 monster taken, a baited hook having been imme- 
 diately put over-board. In the scuffle which took 
 place, every one striving to get a good position, 
 down dropped the spectacles from his nose ; the 
 shark seized the glittering prize, and as if satisfied 
 with his acquisition retired under the counter refus- 
 ing the most tempting baits that were successively 
 offered him during the day. Towards evening a 
 breeze sprung up and away they went at nine or 
 ten knots an hour. The nervous man was now in 
 the situation which his morbid fancy had so often 
 presented to him, and the first part of his pre- 
 
24 STORY OF A SHARK. 
 
 sentiment having come to pass, he felt like a 
 doomed man, and seemed to await the fulfilment 
 of his destiny, which, he had persuaded himself, 
 was either to break his neck, or be drowned. He 
 locked himself up in his cabin, became moody 
 and reserved, and busied himself with arranging 
 his papers, and making various preparations for 
 his end. The captain, and others became serious- 
 ly alarmed, and attempted to rally him from this 
 monomania, but all to no purpose ; he shook his 
 head mournfully when they attempted to laugh 
 him out of it, and solemnly made answer, that 
 time would show he was a doomed man. 
 
 The wind about the line seldom lasts long, and 
 after five or six days* fair sailing during which they 
 ran eight or nine hundred miles, the favourable 
 braeze died away, the heavy sails again idly flap- 
 ped against the masts, and again the usual list- 
 lessness which attends a perfect calm at sea crept 
 over the minds of every one on board. One of 
 the midshipmen who had gone aloft to see if he 
 could descry a sail or any thing else on the vast 
 expanse of water, on which they lay like a log, 
 sang out, that a shark was close to the vessel. 
 Again every body was on the qui vive, a hook 
 was soon baited and thrown over, and this time 
 greedily snatched at by John Shark. He was 
 soon hauled on board, and the business of search- 
 
STORY OF A SHARK. 25 
 
 ing his locker commenced with the usual curiosity. 
 The first thing they pulled out were the gold 
 spectacles ! They were speedily taken down to 
 the hypochondriac below, and the change which 
 the sight of them made on him was miraculous. 
 He felt, he said, just what a man would, who 
 with the rope already round his neck, is reprieved 
 at the gallows' foot, and at once shaking off the 
 fit of despondency and apprehension which had 
 clung so closely to him, he joined heartily in the 
 laugh which his former fears now raised among 
 his fellow voyagers. I give this story as I had it 
 and leave the reader to judge for himself how 
 much of it is true. In a'shark which we caught, 
 we found a newspaper of later date than any we had 
 on board, and which was dried and read by all of 
 us, not having been at all injured by its adven- 
 tures. It must have been dropped from some 
 other ship, and swallowed by our eccentric 
 friend. 
 
 When off the Cape of Good Hope, we were 
 continually honoured with the company of number- 
 less Cape pigeons and albatrosses, which seemed 
 delighted beyond measure with us, and followed 
 in our wake for many days. We caught a great 
 number, some of the latter birds measuring as 
 much as twelve feet across the wings. They are 
 easily taken with a baited hook, kept on the 
 
 c 
 
26 ALBATROSSES. 
 
 surface by a piece of cork and thrown over 
 the stern when the wind is light. The greedy 
 birds soon take the tempting morceau (generally a 
 piece of pork fat) and are hauled instantly on 
 board. It is singular that they immediately be- 
 come sea-sick, cannot rise from the deck, and are 
 altogether the most helpless creatures imaginable. 
 The sailors, who willingly eat anything in the way 
 of fresh meat at sea, made a variety of dishes 
 of their flesh. One of these, a species of stew, 
 I was foolish enough to taste, and certainly never 
 shall forget the atrocious flavour of the mess, 
 which was devoured with much apparent gout by 
 these amphibke. 
 
 We doubled the Cape without seeing the flying 
 Dutchman, who the sailors say is always cruizing 
 in these latitudes. Our old boatswain told some 
 very terrific stories about him, all of which he 
 would swear were true ; and I dare say he had 
 told them so often that he believed the greater 
 part himself. 
 
 " One night," he said, " when he was a young- 
 ster on board an East Indiaman, a severe gale 
 sprung up off the Cape. The wind was so strong 
 that two men were obliged to be stationed aft, to 
 hold the captain's hair on his head, and the night 
 was so dark that the look-out men were obliged to 
 feel if their eyes were still in their sockets. The 
 
FLYING DUTCHMAN. 27 
 
 hands were sent aloft to double reef the topsails, but 
 somehow or other the reefs came undone as soon 
 as they were tied. Suddenly they were hailed by 
 a ship just under their bows, sailing with every 
 stitch of canvass spread, directly in the wind's eye ; 
 and he could distinctly see, from where he lay on 
 the topsail yard, her crew lying idly about her 
 decks, and smoking their pipes with the utmost 
 nonchalance, seeming to think the hurrican every 
 good fun. The hull, rigging, and the crew them- 
 selves shone like phosphorus in the gloom 
 around; and, by the lurid glare of the lightning, 
 he could observe that they were clothed in the 
 broad bottomed breeches, and sugar-loaf hats, 
 which are represented in the old Dutch prints. 
 On she came 3 as if she intended running them 
 down ; but her hail, which was repeated three 
 times, was not responded to by the Indiaman. 
 Suddenly, as a collision seemed inevitable, she 
 disappeared, but instantly afterwards was again 
 seen astern, sailing away in the very teeth of the 
 storm. This was the flying Dutchman ; and no 
 sooner had she gone by than the difficulty of 
 reefing the topsails ceased, the gale abated, and 
 before morning they were again ploughing their 
 way, with a fair wind, across the trackless 
 ocean." 
 
 Had Vanderdecken's attempt at communication 
 
 c 2 
 
23 TURTLE. 
 
 been acknowledged, the boatswain informed us, 
 the ship must have been lost; the only thing that 
 saved them being the refusal of the captain, an 
 old stager, to answer the hail. Why the sailors 
 have this belief I cannot make out, as I never 
 could get it satisfactorily explained. I questioned 
 the ancient mariner very closely on this point, 
 but he could not enlighten me, being himself 
 perfectly satisfied that it was so, without troubling 
 himself about the reason. 
 
 In the Bay of Bengal we met with light winds, 
 and were once becalmed for a whole fortnight. 
 During this time the sea looked like an immense 
 mirror, and numberless turtles were seen basking 
 on its placid surface, their back shells being quite 
 dried by the heat of the sun. It w T as intensely hot ; 
 but we youngsters having no fear of coup de soleil 
 or fever before our eyes, spent the greater part of 
 the time in one of the boats, sometimes harpoon- 
 ing, and sometimes turning these Aldermanic 
 delicacies. To effect the latter purpose, it is 
 necessary for the boat to be propelled by a scull 
 astern, in the quietest manner possible, while the 
 person who performs the operation kneels in the 
 head of the boat. When the turtle is within 
 reach, he gently leans over him, and seizing the 
 flippers on the farther side, suddenly turns the 
 animal on its back. It is then perfectly help- 
 
"land in SIGHT. 29 
 
 less, and is easily lifted into the boat. Care must 
 be taken not to go near its beak, for they bite 
 most ferociously. When we took them on board, 
 the sailors used to cut their throats, and drink the 
 blood, affirming that it tasted like new milk ; but 
 I suspect it must have required a very strong 
 effort of the imagination to arrive at this conclu- 
 sion. 
 
 The delay we met with here, rendered the 
 voyage very tedious. It is when the long-wished- 
 for port is within a few days* sail, that people 
 become excessively impatient ; and the slightest 
 delay is almost insupportable. At last, however, 
 land was in sight, and certainly it was not the sort 
 of land I expected to see. Instead of the de- 
 lightful country I had pictured to my mind's eye, 
 of verdant meadows, and tree-crowned hills, I saw 
 nothing but a long low bank of sand, stretching 
 away on either side as far as the eye could reach. 
 I was sadly disappointed. Can this desert, I 
 exclaimed, be the fairy East I have read of in 
 romance ? How different is the reality ! 
 
 Towards morning a pilot came on board from 
 one of the Company's brigs which we fell in with, 
 and we now began seriously to think our voyage 
 at an end. We passed Saugar Island, famed 
 for the number and ferocity of its tigers, and 
 presently a canoe filled with natives came along- 
 
30 A TIGER. 
 
 side, who proffered for sale straw hats, and 
 various kinds of what they call fruit in India, 
 but which we at home should term very bad 
 vegetables. 
 
 The daring of the tigers about Saugar, when 
 pressed by hunger, almost exceeds belief. The 
 following singular adventure with one occurred 
 to the brother of an officer in my regiment. He 
 was in the Company's service and was proceed- 
 ing on board one of the government steamers 
 up the Sundabunds, with a party of sepoys, in 
 charge of treasure. One night when they were 
 anchored as usual in the middle of the stream, he 
 was awoke by a great scuffling and tumult on 
 deck just over his head. Thinking that it must 
 arise from an attack of robbers, who had made an 
 attempt to possess themselves of the rupees 
 under his charge, he seized his sword, and spring- 
 ing from his cot, rushed up the companion ladder. 
 No sooner did his head appear above the comb- 
 ings of the hatchway, than he received such a smack 
 on it as completely deprived him of his senses, 
 and sent him head foremost down again rather 
 quicker than he came up. On recovering him- 
 self, he found a tiger had boarded them, and that 
 after killing his bearer and two sepoys, and giving 
 him a facer that would have done credit to Tom 
 Spring, he had again betaken himself to the water, 
 
DIAMOND HARBOUR. 31 
 
 and swum ashore, apparently quite satisfied with 
 his own performance. This is one of the many 
 well known instances of their boarding boats, and 
 killing, or carrying off a portion of the crews. 
 
 We were all impatience to get to Calcutta, as 
 the wind was in the favourable direction up the 
 river ; but the pilot assured us it was impossible 
 for him to take the ship up during the night, 
 as it was against the Company's strict regulations. 
 This it appears was a ruse, to obtain possession 
 of some of our loose coin, as we were informed 
 shortly afterwards, that the pilot would take 
 the responsibility of violating the regulation on 
 himself, if a certain sum were handed over to 
 him as a consideration. The cunning fellow knew 
 well enough that our impatience would not allow 
 us to resist the imposition, and, accordingly, 
 we subscribed enough among us to induce this 
 conscientious functionary to proceed. 
 
 We got up to Diamond Harbour that night 
 when we came to an anchor, and early next morn- 
 ing, before the tide served, F and myself bribed 
 some natives to put us ashore as we were impa- 
 tient to commence operations against the Indian 
 game. We, of course, shot at every bird we saw ; 
 and returned on board as they were heaving up 
 the anchor, with a motley collection of Paddy 
 birds, and mynahs, having enjoyed our sport 
 
32 NATIVE SERVANTS. 
 
 very much; but were rather disgusted when 
 laughed at for a couple of griffs, by all the 
 old hands on board for wasting our ammunition 
 at such carrion. 
 
 No sooner had we landed at Calcutta, than we 
 were surrounded by a host of servants in search 
 of situations, all fighting among themselves, and 
 disputing with the most vehement gestures, 
 accompanied by volleys of abuse on their respec- 
 tive mothers and female relations of every degree. 
 Most of these worthies spoke English, and ex- 
 tolled themselves, and ran down their rivals in 
 such terms as these : 
 
 " Master, want good servant? not d n rascal 
 like that fellow there; I very good man. This 
 servant for master 'spectable servant : same, 
 like self.' 5 
 
 u Master not take that man ; he one d n 
 thief: master look here, plenty good character 
 got;" another would cry, displaying a number 
 of small pieces of paper, signed by different offi- 
 cers. One of these I had the curiosity to exam- 
 ine, and found the following attestation to the 
 honesty of the candidate for my service : 
 
 " The bearer of this, one Khoda Bux by name, 
 is the most infernal scoundrel under the sun ; he 
 attached himself to me on my first landing, and 
 cheated me in every way he possibly could for 
 
PALANQUIN BEARERS. 33 
 
 a week. On ray finding out, and dismissing him, 
 
 he had the impudence to ask me for a character ; 
 
 and I have therefore given him this, hoping it 
 
 may be of service towards giving any gentleman, 
 
 to whom he may offer himself, an insight into his 
 
 character. 
 
 " A. B., Ensign, -Regt., N. I." 
 
 With some difficulty we forced our way through 
 these harpies, but not before we had knocked one 
 or two of the most troublesome down. No sooner 
 had we got rid of them, than we were surrounded 
 by a host of palanquin bearers, who fought 
 desperately among themselves for the honour, or 
 profit of carrying us in their palanquins to our des- 
 tination. We settled this dispute by picking out 
 the four best, and then kicking the others away ; 
 and with four umbrella bearers, with their chat- 
 tahs, who had, unasked, attached themselves to 
 our persons, running alongside our palkees, we 
 were trotted off to Spence's Hotel, where we 
 intended taking up our quarters. 
 
 Next morning we reported ourselves to the 
 Brigade Major at Fort William, and then pro- 
 ceeded to deliver the letters of introduction with 
 which we were furnished to the respective gentle- 
 men whose addresses they bore. These are tech- 
 nically called in India tickets for soup, as the 
 
 c3 
 
34 CHINA BAZAAR. 
 
 bearer of one is invariably asked to dinner ; which 
 is the only attention that people generally feel 
 themselves called upon to shew. Having got 
 through these preliminary engagements, we pro- 
 ceeded to the China bazaar, our palanquins be- 
 ing attended by numbers of itinerant dealers in 
 pen -knives, razors, old books, and various other 
 commodities, the excellence of which they most 
 vehemently expatiated upon, as they pressed the 
 articles upon our notice. 
 
 Arrived at the bazaar, we were pounced upon 
 by a fat Bengalee, who seated us in his shop, and 
 provided us with a cheroot, and a glass of brandy 
 and water each before he unfolded his commo- 
 dities for our inspection. A whole posse of rival 
 dealers, meanwhile, besieged the door, and endea- 
 voured to persuade us by the most flattering 
 description of the excellent quality, and cheap 
 prices, of their own wares, to change our quarters. 
 As we did not want to purchase anything in which 
 they dealt, and only came to the bazaar in order 
 to pass away some part of the day, we did not 
 think it necessary to do so, but remained in our 
 comfortable situation, purchasing nothing, but 
 amusing ourselves with a scene so new to us; 
 our fat friend looking on us with a rather blank 
 countenance, when we assured him, in the 
 blandest tones, we were much obliged to him 
 

 NATIVE SERVANTS. 35 
 
 for his attention, and enjoyed his cigars very 
 much, although we did not happen to want any 
 article in the heterogeneous collection his shop 
 contained. 
 
 When we got tired of this, we again packed 
 ourselves in our palkees, and proceeded to the 
 bird bazaar, where we purchased a monkey each 
 and then returned to our hotel. I retired to my 
 room to dress for dinner, and was just washing 
 my hands when the door was thrown open, and a 
 respectably dressed native, followed by about 
 twenty others in various costumes, walked in. 
 On inquiring rather sharply the cause of this 
 intrusion, the leader of the gang threw himself 
 into an attitude, and addressed me in the fol- 
 lowing words : 
 
 " Master, new gentleman, just come master 
 want servant plenty too much very bad man in 
 Calcut. I one highly respectable man I hear 
 master one very great sahib and want servant. 
 I go, save master trouble, and bring servant for 
 him. This fellow,' 5 pointing to the first on the 
 list, "is master's kitmutgar; next fellow, master's 
 washman. Two, three day, master buy horse, 
 that fellow take care master's horse ; next fellow 
 cut grass for same ; and me," laying his hand on 
 his heart, and making a low bow, "I master's 
 head man ; I take care of master's clothes, keep 
 
36 CALCUTTA. 
 
 his money, and do every thing for him, master 
 have no trouble at all/' 
 
 I could scarcely help laughing at the fellow's 
 impudence, and found it difficult to get rid of 
 him, until I assured him if he did not speedily 
 make his exit, and take the followers he had so 
 benevolently provided for me with him, I should 
 be at the trouble of kicking him and his tail out 
 of the house. When he found I was in earnest, 
 he departed ; and I understood afterwards played 
 the same game successively on my three brother 
 officers, but without succeeding in seducing them 
 to take him. 
 
 Calcutta has been called " The city of palaces'" 
 but why I cannot conceive. There is nothing 
 grand or striking in its appearance whatever. 
 The houses inhabited by the European residents 
 are large, and some of the shops in the principal 
 streets good, but not to be compared with those 
 of London. I imagine it has acquired the name 
 by comparison with the other cities and towns in 
 India ; and certainly they are immeasurably in- 
 ferior in every respect. People in England have 
 an idea that such places as Agra, Delhi, Benares, 
 and a few others, must be on a very magnificent 
 scale ; but they only differ from other towns by 
 having more inhabitants, and being infinitely 
 filthier. All Indian cities are very much alike. 
 
BRAHMINEE BULLS. 37 
 
 There is generally a long narrow street, with 
 shops on each side, which is called the bazaar. 
 These shops are occupied by dealers in grain, 
 copper-smiths, cloth-merchants, and manufactu- 
 rers of sweetmeats, of which the natives are im- 
 moderately fond ; and the manufacture of which, 
 therefore, is a profitable business. 
 
 The swarms of flies about these shops would 
 beggar description. They are bred in millions, 
 and are a most intolerable nuisance. At Delhi, 
 the air seems absolutely alive with them. The 
 sweetmeat-makers are always dirtier than any 
 other class of natives ; and to see them prepare 
 their dainty wares is absolutely disgusting. This 
 operation is always performed in public, and it is 
 difficult to imagine how the natives, after witness- 
 ing it, can make up their minds to eat these 
 mixtures of dirt, sugar, and perspiration. 
 
 The bazaars are always thronged with people ; 
 some purchasing goods, but more for the sake of 
 gossiping, and seeing what is going on. A great 
 nuisance in such crowded places are the Brahminee 
 bulls. These brutes, which belong to nobody, 
 and are worshipped by the natives, generally 
 take up their quarters in the grain-bazaar, and 
 help themselves out of the various baskets which 
 are exposed for sale by the dealers, who dare not 
 refuse them food. So bigotted are the people, 
 
38 FAKIRS. 
 
 that they would assuredly murder any one who 
 injured them ; and the fact of one being killed 
 by a European or Mussulman, would be enough 
 to excite a whole province to rebellion. They 
 are turned loose, when young, as offerings to 
 Brahma in return for any benefit which his god- 
 ship may be supposed to have conferred upon 
 any individual or his family; such as recovery 
 from sickness, the birth of an heir, &c. &c. They 
 get very fat, and are often exceedingly fierce and 
 dangerous. 
 
 Numbers of fakirs or beggars also are always 
 to be met with in the bazaars. These scoundrels 
 are generally those who, disliking work, take to 
 begging as an easier mode of getting their liveli- 
 hood. Their faces and bodies are marked with 
 different kinds of paint, which gives them a 
 hideous aspect. Their hair is commonly plastered 
 with cow-dung and ashes, and altogether they 
 cut a most disgusting figure. If denied the 
 alms which they solicit, or rather demand, often 
 in a most authoritative manner, they vent their 
 disappointment in torrents of abuse and curses. 
 The natives generally are induced by fearing the 
 consequence of a refusal to give them money, 
 although they assuredly never would do so from 
 any feeling of charity. I have seen another de- 
 scription of fakirs who are in the habit of muti- 
 
FAKIRS. 39 
 
 lating themselves in various ways. Some hold 
 their arms uplifted and hands clenched so long 
 above their heads that the sinews become stif- 
 fened, and they cannot move them down or in 
 any other direction, and the nails of their fingers 
 having grown through the backs of their hands, 
 protrude three or four inches from the flesh, more 
 like the talons of some wild beast than the nails 
 of a human being. Some stand on one leg for a 
 number of years, never changing their position, 
 until by disuse they can no longer move their 
 limbs. I saw a man near Ghazeepore standing in 
 this position under a peepul tree; and the natives 
 about the place informed me that he had not 
 moved for fourteen years. When I saw him, his 
 limbs were quite contracted, and were evidently 
 of no more use to him than if they had been 
 made of wood. He stood like a statue, and took 
 no notice of any one, great as was the number 
 of those who stopped to look at him. He asked 
 for nothing ; but I suppose he was fed by the 
 natives of a village adjoining, who no doubt 
 esteemed themselves highly honoured by the 
 circumstance that so holy a man had taken up 
 his quarters so near them. 
 
 Marriage processions are another abominable 
 nuisance in these crowded thoroughfares. The 
 bride and bridegroom, both children, are carried 
 
40 MARRIAGE PROCESSIONS. 
 
 about in palanquins covered with red cloth or 
 other finery. They are accompanied by a band 
 composed of natives, playing on wind instruments 
 of the harshest and most discordant tones, fol- 
 lowed by the eternal tom-tom or drum, and 
 aided by the vocal assistance of every person 
 engaged in the procession. These yell forth the 
 nuptial hymns at the pitch of their voices, and 
 each I fancy with his own version of the words, 
 imagination coming into play when memory fails. 
 The din may be conceived better than described. 
 I have known the natives, after they had been 
 engaged in a festival of the kind to be so hoarse 
 from their efforts that they could hardly speak 
 for a week. 
 
 The other parts of all Indian cities are alike. 
 They are composed of a mass of mud huts, built 
 in most admirable disorder, and in which live the 
 natives with their dirty wives and filthier chil- 
 dren ; pariah dogs and pigs making up the rest 
 of the population. 
 
 Some of the higher casts of natives are ex- 
 cessively clean in their persons and houses ; but 
 they are seldom seen, as they live as privately as 
 possible, and do not generally like any one whom 
 they consider of an inferior race to themselves to 
 go near their dwellings, or come in contact with 
 them in any way. 
 
CALCUTTA. 41 
 
 At Calcutta. I was invited to many parties, and 
 met with various very pleasant people. Among 
 these I shall never forget the hospitality and 
 
 kindness which I experienced from Mr. A n, 
 
 one of the partners of the agency-house, to which 
 I carried out letters of credit. This gentleman 
 continually invited me to his house, and really 
 had he been a near relation of my own, instead of 
 a perfect stranger, he could not have shewn me 
 more attention. He is the prince of good fel- 
 lows, keeps a splendid table, and never is so 
 happy as when doing the honours of it to his 
 friends. Long may he live to adorn it, and en- 
 joy the large fortune which his industry has 
 gained him ! 
 
42 DINAPORE. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 March up the country Shooting on the road Sight of a 
 tiger Killing a bear A shot at a fakir Making bear's 
 grease A sirloin of bear's flesh Pariah dogs Jungle 
 fever H.M. 49th Regiment Dak travelling Arrival at 
 Dinapore. 
 
 After ten days' stay in Calcutta, we resolved 
 to proceed and join the regiment then sta- 
 tioned at Dinapore, nearly five hundred miles up 
 the country. Accordingly, F. and I determined to 
 march by land, while our brother officers made 
 up their minds to go by water up the Ganges, on 
 the left bank of which Dinapore is situated. We 
 anticipated no end of adventures with wild beasts 
 on the road, which lies, in many parts, through 
 thick jungles and forests. Bullets were cast by 
 wholesale, and every thing prepared to give the 
 gentlemen as warm a reception as possible, should 
 we be so lucky as to fall in with them. 
 
 The hot season was at this time approaching, 
 and the sun during the day was most oppressively 
 powerful. We, therefore, determined to move at 
 
JACKALS. 43 
 
 night, and accordingly one evening after dining, 
 and spending a few jovial hours with our friends, 
 who wished us every success on our trip, we 
 mounted our horses, and started on our journey. 
 It was one of the moonlight nights which are so 
 bright and beautiful in India, so clear, that one 
 could have read the smallest print ; while the 
 trees with which the road was lined, looked as if 
 they were tinged with silver. Our baggage had 
 preceded us the morning before, with orders 
 to halt at Augaparah, about ten miles from 
 Calcutta, which is the usual march. 
 
 Our people were at the place appointed, and they 
 had prepared our beds in a half ruinous bungalow 
 on the side of the road. We slept soundly enough, 
 being tired after our ride, and the jollification 
 which we had enjoyed at Calcutta before we 
 started ; so soundly, indeed, as not to be disturbed 
 by the jackals, which we afterwards found a most 
 intolerable nuisance. They howl in a most un- 
 earthly manner, and generally keep it up all night, 
 while they prowl about an encampment in search of 
 prey. The next morning a servant of mine who 
 spoke English, and who therefore was our factotum, 
 came and informed me, that this was the last bun- 
 galow we should see for many day s' march, and that, 
 therefore, it would be impossible to proceed with- 
 out tents, which we had never thought of. He, 
 
44 A DETACHMENT. 
 
 of course, according to the invariable custom of 
 the natives, never said a word about them until 
 we had left the place at which such things were 
 procurable. This was pleasant. There was no 
 help for it, however; go back we must and pur- 
 chase tents, notwithstanding our dislike at retro- 
 grading, after once making a start, and that with 
 the certainty of being laughed at by our brother 
 subs for our griffishness in going without such 
 necessary appendages. 
 
 While we were discussing this point, we were 
 surprised by the arrival of a detachment of Euro- 
 pean soldiers, who appeared on the ground, and 
 made preparations for encamping. These we 
 found out were a number of volunteers from the 
 20th Regiment, proceeding to join the 49th at 
 Hazareebaug. They were under the command of 
 a Captain T., of the 26th Regiment, a very excel- 
 lent fellow, who, on hearing of our dilemma, most 
 kindly pressed us to make use of his tent, a very 
 large one, and by no means to think of going 
 back. He was alone, he said, and would be 
 delighted with our company. This obliging offer 
 we closed with at once, and afterwards felicitated 
 ourselves not a little on our luck in falling in with 
 the detachment. We soon discovered that, from 
 our complete ignorance of the country, the 
 manners of the people, and the language, we 
 
USURERS. 45 
 
 should have been exceedingly uncomfortable, and 
 exposed to every kind of annoyance from the 
 rascality of the natives, who had hired themselves 
 to us as servants with the intention of making 
 a pretty sum by cheating us on the road. They 
 did not seem at all to approve of the plan of 
 joining the detachment, and some deserted that 
 night, it not being worth their while to proceed, 
 now we had some person with us who was aware 
 of the tricks generally played off on griffs. The 
 greater number of servants who get situations 
 with young men in Calcutta, will only serve them 
 during their griffinhood. When they find they 
 can no longer rob with impunity, they leave their 
 situations, and go in search of another fresh hand, 
 whom they pluck in the same way. In this man- 
 ner, these scoundrels often manage to amass a con- 
 siderable sum of money, when they set up the trade 
 of usury, lending money at the rate of twenty-four 
 per cent interest, to young officers and others. 
 They have often been the ruin of thoughtless 
 youths who, had they not fallen into such hands, 
 would probably have become ornaments to their 
 profession. We rather rejoiced that the vagabonds 
 had made themselves scarce before they obtained 
 an opportunity of robbing us to any extent. 
 
 We proceeded on our march with great glee. 
 The soldiers were as fond of sport as ourselves, 
 
46 THE MARCH. 
 
 and went out with us every day to beat for game. 
 We had capital shooting at partridges, pea-fowl, 
 hares, snipes, and innumerable wild-fowl, and we 
 were rather an acquisition to the detachment, 
 which otherwise would often have been on short 
 commons : very little in the eating way, being pro- 
 curable at the wretched villages through which 
 we passed. After ten or twelve days' march, the 
 country presented a wilder aspect, and became 
 jungly. Tall thick grass, interspersed with stunted 
 bushes, began to take the place of well cultivated 
 fields, and we now anticipated falling in with 
 nobler game than we had as yet been able to find. 
 We observed that the few villages which we 
 passed were stockaded round, to prevent the incur- 
 sions of the wild beasts at night. Several deer and 
 wild hogs crossed our path and were shot. One 
 evening, the camel drivers came running into camp 
 in great alarm. They had taken the camels to 
 drink at a jheel * a little way in the jungle, when 
 a tiger made his appearance for the same purpose 
 on the other side. They, of course, at once took 
 to their heels and could not be persuaded to go 
 back; but having pointed out the direction in 
 which they had seen the beast, we loaded our 
 rifles, and, accompanied by about a dozen volun- 
 teers from the men, started in chase. When, 
 * A lake or marsh. 
 
BEARS. 47 
 
 however, we arrived at the jheel, he had taken his 
 departure. We found the prints of his feet in the 
 loose sand, and followed them some distance into 
 the jungle ; but, as night was fast closing in, and it 
 was already so dark that we could hardly see ten 
 yards around us, we judged it prudent to return. 
 Our friend was prowling about the camp all night, 
 and in the morning we found he had killed a bul- 
 lock belonging to one of the hackeries,* which had 
 got loose from its fastenings, and strayed away 
 a short distance in the jungle to graze. F and 
 myself remained behind next morning, and had 
 another hunt for the tiger, but were again unsuc- 
 cessful. 
 
 On arriving at the village of Ragonathpore, a 
 number of the natives came to our tents, and 
 complained most bitterly of the conduct of two 
 bears, which had taken up their residence in a 
 cave in a mountain close to the village. The 
 brutes had killed some, and mutilated others of 
 the inhabitants, who had fallen in with them 
 while collecting fire-wood, or searching for honey, 
 bees' nests being common in the jungle, and of 
 these the bears are immoderately fond. I saw one 
 poor wretch who had been frightfully mangled. 
 He had been on the mountain, he said, searching 
 for honey, when the bear suddenly rushed on him 
 * Indian carts. 
 
48 A SHOOTING PARTY. 
 
 and tore the scalp from the top of his head with 
 his claws, and otherwise severely wounded him. 
 This had occurred about a week before our arrival. 
 No sooner had we swallowed our breakfast, 
 than the guns were overhauled, and put in readi- 
 ness for instant service. We sent for the head 
 man of the village, who soon collected fifty or 
 sixty of the natives provided with tom-toms,* and 
 various other noisy instruments to act as beaters. 
 A party of the more respectable inhabitants said 
 they would accompany us ; and they accordingly 
 came armed to the teeth with spears, swords, and 
 shields, and some few with bows and arrows ; 
 others, in the excess of their zeal, had brought out 
 matchlocks, but they seemed to have such a vague 
 idea of how they were to be used, and carried 
 them in such a dangerous manner, generally 
 pointing at somebody's head, that I decidedly ob- 
 jected to this part of the armament. I had, more- 
 over, no great opinion of the steadiness of our new 
 allies ; and even allowing that they did not shoot 
 any of us by accident on the way to the hill, I felt 
 pretty certain that on the least alarm in the jun- 
 gle, a shower of balls would be sent in every 
 direction but the right one, and that probably 
 some of the beaters would be shot, of which of 
 course we should get the credit. They were accord- 
 * A kind of drum. 
 
A SHOOTING PARTY. 49 
 
 ingly though unwillingly left behind. Some of 
 the soldiers obtained a few spears in case we 
 should come to close quarters ; and after a great 
 deal of noisy discussion on the part of our beaters, 
 as to the nearest route to Bruin's residence, we 
 started. On arriving at the foot of the hill, we 
 made the natives sit down while we ascended 
 to reconnoitre the ground. We found a second 
 hill behind that which the bears were said to fre- 
 quent, and in a ravine dividing the two their foot- 
 marks were plainly discernible. From these we 
 could form a very good idea which way they were 
 likely to take when forced to break cover. There 
 we determined to take our stations in order to cut 
 off their retreat from a large thick tract of jungle, 
 beyond which, it was evident from the trail, lay a 
 favourite resort of theirs. 
 
 A sergeant who accompanied us was placed 
 at one end, while F and I took up positions 
 about a couple of hundred yards apart, in the 
 ravine, where two well beaten tracks intersected 
 it, both evidently favourite runs. I had a 
 double rifle with me, and was attended by a 
 servant, on whom I thought I might depend, 
 with another double gun loaded with ball, which 
 he was to hand to me as a reserve, in case I should 
 not dispatch the brute with the first piece. A 
 corporal of our party, an intelligent fellow, was 
 
50 BEATERS. 
 
 now sent back with orders to take the beaters 
 round to the other side of the hill, and extending 
 them across the whole breadth of the jungle, with 
 which it was covered, to beat directly down on us 
 and to order them to sound their trumpets, and 
 beat their drums with all their might on the way, 
 so as to drive every animal concealed therein from 
 his lair. He accordingly departed on his mission, 
 and I posted our native allies who were most 
 noisy subjects, and a great nuisance, where I 
 thought they would be least in the way, earnestly 
 entreating them to be as quiet as possible. 
 
 I had just returned to my station when I 
 heard our beaters on the top of the hill, and a 
 deer brushed past me, but so suddenly that I 
 could not take aim at him. The plot now 
 began to thicken, and shortly afterwards a bear 
 made his appearance in the ravine, about eighty 
 yards to my right, and I was in hopes he would 
 come my way, but was disappointed. He 
 
 turned down towards F 3 s station, and I 
 
 heard both his barrels go off, and shortly after- 
 wards another shot from the serjeant at the end. 
 The beaters were now half way down the hill, 
 and the noise they kicked up was certainly suffi- 
 cient to have driven all the beasts out of the 
 country. 
 
 I was just moving down to F to hear 
 
KILLING A BEAR. 51 
 
 what he had done, when I heard a tremen- 
 dous rustling and cracking of jungle in front of 
 me, and out came an enormous bear, right on the 
 path on which I was standing. We were within 
 five yards of each other, and the brute seemed 
 staggered by the suddenness of the unexpected 
 encounter, and for a moment inclined to turn 
 tail. The infernal din of the musical instru- 
 ments behind him, however, prevented that, 
 and he made a rush at me. I had taken aim at 
 his head the moment he appeared, and as soon 
 as he moved on the open path, I let fly and 
 dropped him on the instant ; he gave one fero- 
 cious growl and expired. I had shot him exactly 
 between the eyes, and being end on, the ball had 
 passed through his head into his body, playing 
 no small havoc with his intestines on the way. 
 
 On looking round for my servant, he was no- 
 where to be seen, and on calling out to our 
 native friends I found they were missing also. I 
 climbed to the place where I had posted them, 
 and from thence had a good view of them running 
 as hard as they could lay legs to the ground in 
 the direction of their village ; my aid-de-camp, 
 with the reserve gun and all my ammunition, 
 being of the party. They had evidently bolted 
 the moment the bear made his appearance, and 
 the young sportsman may take a hint from this 
 
 D 2 
 
52 A RENCONTRE. 
 
 never to expect a native to stand by him when 
 there is any danger, or he may be left in an 
 awkward predicament. It is seldom, indeed, that 
 wild animals of any size are killed by a single ball, 
 and the plan which I always afterwards adopted, 
 was to take my reserve gun from the native, and 
 place it on the ground close by my station, always 
 taking care also to have some spare balls and 
 powder in my own pocket. It was then imma- 
 terial whether the nigger ran away or not. F 
 
 soon came down on hearing my shout, and from 
 him I learned that the other bear had got off, but 
 he thought he was wounded. We determined 
 therefore to follow him, and see if we could not 
 dispatch him also. 
 
 On arriving at the sergeant's post, he in- 
 formed us that he had fired without effect, 
 and that Bruin had gone up the hill again, 
 finding so many enemies on his path. While 
 here, we heard a shout from the hill, which had 
 a perpendicular descent on this side, of about 
 twenty or thirty feet. On looking up, we saw 
 Bruin plainly enough standing on his hind legs in 
 a menacing attitude, and one of the beaters seem- 
 ingly paralyzed at his appearance close by him. 
 We could not fire, the man being between us and 
 the bear, but on our shouting to him he seemed 
 to gain confidence, and swinging his iron-bound 
 
AN ACCIDENT. 53 
 
 latee* rounds he gave the brute a rap on the head 
 with hearty good will. Brum's frontispiece, how- 
 ever, was thick enough to allow him to receive a 
 much harder knock with impunity, and he ad- 
 vanced evidently enraged, and with his mind made 
 up for mischief. The native retreated backwards 
 to the verge of the cliff, and, seemingly having com- 
 pletely lost his recollection in the present danger, 
 in spite of our shouts of warning, made another 
 step, and in an instant was over the precipice. 
 
 We ran to the spot and found him very 
 seriously hurt by the fall; he had also received 
 an ugly scratch from the bear and was unable 
 to speak. The other beaters soon crowded 
 round the place and said he was dead : but I 
 found he had life enough in him to clutch pretty 
 firmly some rupees which I put into his hand. We 
 sent him home, and then wished to proceed to 
 the next jungle to which Bruin had been tracked. 
 No persuasions, however, would induce the na- 
 tives to go in again ; they had had enough of it. 
 In vain we offered them double pay, and pointed 
 out that the accident which had occurred was 
 entirely owing to the man's own folly. Had he 
 moved on one side out of the way, instead of 
 attacking the bear, and then tumbling down the 
 precipice in his fright, we could have shot the 
 * A long club of the solid or male bamboo. 
 
54 A FAKIR. 
 
 animal from where we stood. All would not do : 
 one man had been killed they said, and though it 
 was very good fun for us to kill the bears, they 
 did not see any fun in being killed themselves. 
 It was useless to attempt to draw the jungle with- 
 out beaters, so we were at last reluctantly obliged 
 to give it up, abusing them most heartily for 
 their cowardice. 
 
 On looking round for something at which to 
 discharge my rifle before departing, I espied 
 what appeared to be a monkey seated on a rock 
 at the top of a small hill behind us. He was a 
 long way off, but I thought 1 would try a shot. 
 Accordingly I fired, but the ball struck short, and 
 the figure did not seem to take any notice of the 
 report. In order to rouse him from his apathy, I 
 elevated rather higher to allow for the distance, 
 and firing the other barrel, sent its contents this 
 time close under him. He was now evidently 
 alarmed, and starting to his legs, began to run 
 for it. To our astonishment, we now perceived 
 that what we had taken for a monkey was a man, 
 and I had very narrowly escaped sending him to 
 his last account. I was completely taken aback 
 on finding my mistake, and asked the natives 
 why they had not told me it was a man at whom 
 I was firing. They coolly answered that they 
 did not wish to spoil my sport, and that I might 
 

 RETURN TO CAMP. 55 
 
 fire all day at the individual if I wished. He 
 was a holy man, they said, who always lived 
 on that rock, and never ate or drank anything; 
 and of course being so sacred a personage, he 
 could turn my bullets aside at his pleasure, and 
 I should, therefore, never be able to hit him. 
 I was quite as well satisfied that I had not suc- 
 ceeded in my attempt, and his invulnerability on 
 this occasion doubtless added no little to the high 
 opinion which the natives had already formed of 
 his sanctity. 
 
 When we arrived in camp with our prize, we 
 were received with great acclamations by the 
 female part of the population of the village, who 
 crowded round the monster which was carried 
 on a pole by ten men. They called down bless- 
 ings without number on our heads for destroying 
 such a scourge to their country, and ended with 
 asking for a buxees, or present of money for 
 their good wishes. We were pleased with our 
 sport, and by the distribution of a few rupees 
 made them equally so with us ; and they abused 
 their lords and masters heartily when we told 
 them that we should certainly have killed the 
 other, but for their want of courage. I set one of 
 the soldiers, who had been a butcher in his youth, 
 to skin the brute, which we found was six feet 
 nine inches high, when standing on his hind legs, 
 
56 A SIRLOIN. 
 
 measuring from the crown of his head to the 
 heel. Another of the men, who had been a hair- 
 dresser, collected all his fat to render down into 
 beards-grease. He presented me with a quantity 
 when it had undergone the necessary preparation. 
 It was genuine no doubt, and that was its only 
 recommendation, for it was nasty stuff, and I 
 should have been very sorry to put any such 
 filth on my head. The soldiers determined to 
 eat the flesh ; and as we had often heard of bears' 
 hams being such delicacies, we thought we too 
 would try him. Accordingly, a most noble sirloin 
 was cut out in professional style by our friend 
 the butcher, and handed over to our cook for the 
 morrow's dinner ; orders being given him, how- 
 ever, at the same time to have something else, in 
 case of its not turning out quite as good as we 
 anticipated. The soldiers had a fine feast the 
 same day, and assured us that it was delicious ; 
 and we certainly began to look forward to enjoy- 
 ing a treat. The morrow came, and in our im- 
 patience to taste the rarity, we ordered dinner an 
 hour earlier than usual ; and, after talking about 
 it all day, we at last heard the joyful announce- 
 ment that it was ready. We sat down, and the 
 sirloin, which we had already eaten in imagination 
 half a dozen times, was brought in. It looked 
 very well, but on taking the first mouthful, I 
 

 A SIRLOIN. 57 
 
 looked at F , he looked at T , and he without 
 saying a word, seizing the long-expected delicacy, 
 threw it out of the tent. The flavour was horri- 
 ble : I never tasted any thing so abominable in my 
 life. It was fortunate that we had something 
 else for dinner ; for eating the bear's flesh was 
 out of the question. We had, however^ a hearty 
 laugh at the way in which we had been taken in, 
 and were greatly amused at the sight of a party 
 of hungry pariah dogs, which had collected round 
 the smoking joint outside. Each in turn seized 
 it and attempted to carry it off: but each was 
 forced immediately to drop it with a burnt 
 mouth, snarling and fighting with the rest for a 
 bite at the corners, and places where it was 
 getting cool. In the midst of their strife, a half 
 starved mangy-looking brute that had carefully 
 kept aloof from the engagement, and maintained 
 an armed neutrality by shewing his teeth at every 
 dog that came near, watching his opportunity, 
 made a dash at the savoury bait, and regardless 
 of its being scalding hot, bolted off with his 
 prize at a pace that gave his outwitted com- 
 panions little chance of regaining it, although they 
 all joined most hotly in pursuit. 
 
 The skin of the bear was a great prize, being 
 very black and handsome. I sent it to England 
 afterwards, and on my return had the satisfaction 
 
 d3 
 
58 JUNGLE FEVER. 
 
 of seeing it in excellent preservation, formed into 
 a rug for my mother's dining-room. 
 
 A few days after this event, my sport was 
 spoiled by my being seized with a violent jungle 
 fever, attended with delirium, and other most 
 dangerous symptoms. In consequence of the 
 report made to Captain T. by the apothecary who 
 attended the detachment, he sent me by dak to 
 Hazareebaug, where proper medical assistance 
 could be obtained, that being the only chance of 
 saving my life. There was no palanquin to be 
 had, but the bearers made up a sort of a vehicle 
 with my charpoy* and some bamboos, which an- 
 swered the purpose. We were several marches 
 distant from the station, but my sturdy bearers 
 trotted along famously, being promised double 
 buxees; and in about eighteen hours I was set 
 down at the bungalow of the senior assistant sur- 
 geon of H.M. 49th Regiment, at Hazareebaug. I 
 had never seen or heard of this gentleman before 
 in my life, but his kindness and attention could 
 not have been exceeded, had I been his brother. 
 I was very ill, almost at death's door, when I 
 arrived. He immediately had a room in his 
 house got ready, and I was put to bed, and the 
 most active measures at once put into operation. 
 I was bled, leeched, and blistered, until I appeared 
 * A rude Indian bedstead. 
 
JUNGLE FEVER. 59 
 
 but a shadow of my former self; nothing but 
 this active treatment, I heard afterwards, saved 
 me, as I had inflammation of the brain from 
 coup de soleil. For a long time I was delirious, 
 and my life was hanging on a thread ; but, thanks 
 to God, and a good constitution, a favourable turn 
 took place, and I was in a fair way of recovery. 
 
 One morning when in this situation, I was 
 surprised by a visit from Colonel Bartley, then 
 commanding the 49th. He had heard that a young 
 officer had been brought into the station ill, and like 
 the good Samaritan determined to do all he could 
 to alleviate his sufferings. He had been down seve- 
 ral times to inquire how I went on ; but until this 
 morning it was not considered prudent by poor 
 Robertson, who attended me day and night, that 
 I should see any one. No sooner had Colonel B. 
 come in, than he shook me by the hand, and in 
 his kind tones assured me how delighted he felt 
 on finding that the unfavourable symptoms had 
 passed off. " And now, my dear boy/' said he, 
 " a little ride every morning and evening will help 
 mightily to set you on your legs again. I have 
 two carriages, one of which I never use, so I 
 beg you will consider it quite at your service, 
 and it shall come down and fetch you every 
 day, as soon as the doctor will let you go 
 out." Such conduct as this speaks for itself: 
 
60 H.M. 49TH REGIMENT. 
 
 it needs not, therefore, that I should make further 
 comment on it. Poor Bartley is dead now, and 
 although he was beloved and revered as a father, 
 by the whole regiment, none of them can regret 
 him more than I do. Poor Robinson, who 
 attended me so constantly and kindly, and who, 
 with God's assistance, was the principal cause 
 of my recovery, is also now no more. He was a 
 very old assistant surgeon, and was appointed 
 shortly after my illness, as full surgeon of the 9th, 
 and died while with that corps at Chinsurah, of 
 cholera. 
 
 When I began to get out a little, I experienced 
 the utmost kindness from the officers; they all 
 seemed like a set of brothers ; a more pleasant or 
 united corps it never has been my luck to fall in 
 with. They have lately distinguished themselves 
 very much in China, and with such a commanding 
 officer, and such a feeling as there was throughout 
 the regiment, it never could be otherwise. 
 
 I remained at Hazareebaug about a month, 
 when being convalescent, and anxious to join my 
 own regiment, I took leave of my kind friends, 
 and having bought a palanquin, and laid a dak, 
 started on my journey one evening, and arrived at 
 Dinapore on the second day afterwards. This 
 dak travelling is very easy, and, when the journey 
 is not long, not unpleasant, although some people 
 
DAK TRAVELLING. 61 
 
 exclaim bitterly against it. It must certainly be 
 exceedingly disagreeable to those who cannot 
 sleep in a palanquin, and this is a general com- 
 plaint ; while on the contrary, I have always found 
 it exceedingly difficult to keep awake. When 
 about to make a journey of this kind, application 
 is made to the post-master of the station, whence 
 it is intended to depart. This must be done 
 some days before the intended journey, as he has to 
 send letters to the head men at all the stages 
 on the route, to warn them to have in readiness 
 eight bearers for the palanquin, one or two torch 
 bearers, and as many banghy burdars as are 
 ordered. These banghy burdars carry two petar- 
 rahs* in slings, at each end of a bamboo, and 
 run along-side the palkee. Of course, their 
 number is determined by the quantity of baggage 
 to be carried. People seldom take more than a 
 few clothes, and plates, and dishes, with eatables 
 sufficient for the journey. Two are, therefore, 
 the usual number accompanying each palanquin. 
 When the dak is properly managed, they time the 
 progress of the traveller so exactly, that the 
 bearers are always found waiting at the appointed 
 places; and they relieve the old bearers, and 
 trot away with the palanquin with scarcely any 
 delay. When a stage is completed, the relieved 
 * Small boxes. 
 
62 DAK TRAVELLING. 
 
 bearers expect a small present for themselves, in 
 addition to the expenses of the dak, which must 
 always be paid beforehand to the post-master. The 
 amount of buxees is determined by the manner in 
 which they have carried the traveller on their 
 stage. They generally get eight annas,* four 
 annas, or nothings according to their pace. The 
 set of eight bearers, which is the regular number, 
 continually relieve each other on the road, as only 
 four at once carry the palanquin. The usual rate 
 of this mode of travelling is three and a half miles 
 an hour, day and night, and costs about eighteen- 
 pence a mile. 
 
 On arrival at Dinapore, I was very kindly 
 received by all the officers of my regiment, who, 
 from the accounts they had heard of my illness, 
 never expected to see me there. I was still very 
 weak, and the commanding officer kindly informed 
 me, that I need not do duty until I had recovered 
 my strength. I dined at the mess the day I arrived, 
 and as I was still quite bald, my head having been 
 shaved during my illness, I have no doubt I was 
 the most singular looking recruit that had joined 
 the regiment for some time. 
 
 * An anna is of the value of three-halfpence English 
 money, 
 
D1NAP0RE. 63 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Sporting at Dinapore Snipe shooting Tiger hunting 
 Indigo planters at Tirhoot Anecdote of a lion A tiger 
 hunter in an unpleasant situation Jungle fowl Runa- 
 way elephants Jungle bees Catching wild elephants 
 Sagacity of elephants Hog hunting A pig-sticking 
 griff Bobbery pack Treatment of dogs and horses 
 Syces and grass-cutters Horse-dealers Races Sailing 
 on the Ganges Anecdotes Sporting griffs, &c. 
 
 Dinapore is a very bad station, very hot, and 
 but little shooting in the vicinity. There is a jheel, 
 however, on the opposite side of the river in which 
 I have bagged a good many snipe. In case any of 
 my readers should ever be stationed there, I should 
 recommend them to cross the river opposite the 
 church,and after passing a nullah* which lies about a 
 mile inland to continue their route straightforward 
 for about five miles, when they will find another 
 nullah, with rushes on each side. Let them turn up 
 the left bank of this, and shooting their way about 
 three miles, cross the nullah, which is not, in some 
 * A small river. 
 
64 SNIPE SHOOTING. 
 
 places, more than three or four feet deep, and shoot 
 back on the opposite side. It is not a first rate 
 snipe jheel, but a good shot may make a very fair 
 bag during this walk from fifteen to sixteen brace. 
 Beyond this nullah again, about a mile, there 
 are some small jheels, which generally are full of 
 snipe ; but they are not extensive. They may be 
 shot over in about two hours. I used generally 
 to leave them alone until I had beaten both sides 
 of the nullah, and then adjourned thither to finish 
 my day, and these jheels being the haunt of all 
 the snipes which are driven from the first place, 
 they were then very plentiful. But although 
 Dinapore has no good shooting close at hand, it 
 is a station most favourably situated for the tiger 
 shooter, being not more than ninety or a hundred 
 miles from the Terai, where the best tiger shooting 
 in India is to be had. It is of no use to go out 
 after tigers until, the hot weather having com- 
 menced, most of the jheels and ponds of water 
 left by the rains are dried up. 
 
 Tigers are naturally of a hot constitution, and 
 the quantity of flesh which they devour makes them 
 more susceptible of thirst than most other animals. 
 While these pools and jheels are full, therefore, 
 the tigers are dispersed all over the country ; but 
 when they become dried up, it is only necessary 
 to beat the jungle in the vicinity of nullahs, or 
 

 TIGER PARTY. 65 
 
 places which are never dry, and the tigers will all 
 be found congregated there, while miles of ground, 
 where there is no water obtainable, are often 
 beaten by parties, who go home and complain 
 there are no tigers left in the country ; when, had 
 they only hunted in the vicinity of water, they 
 would have had good sport. 
 
 The first trip I ever had with a regular tiger 
 shooting party, was from Dinapore. A gentle- 
 man who was in the habit of going out invited 
 F. and myself to join him in a month's excur- 
 sion, to which, of course, we most readily assented. 
 Having obtained leave, therefore, we laid our daks 
 to Betteah, seventy miles from Dinapore, where 
 we were to meet Mr. J., and one morning, directly 
 after muster, stepped into our palanquins, and 
 started on our journey. We went on well enough 
 until we arrived at MazufFerpore at 12 o'clock 
 that night. Here the bearers put us down, and 
 informed us there was no relay waiting. Fortu- 
 nately, the post-master of this station had formerly 
 been doing duty with our corps as assistant 
 surgeon, and as he was a very good fellow, we 
 determined to go to his house and knock him 
 up to see if we could, by his means, be spared 
 farther delay on our journey. He informed us 
 there must have been some very bad management 
 on the part of the post-master at Dinapore, as he 
 
66 SNIPE SHOOTING. 
 
 had received no notice of a dak being required, 
 and he was quite sure there was none laid. He, 
 therefore, recommended us to have our palanquins 
 brought to his bungalow, while he ordered beds 
 for us to sleep there, and in the morning he would 
 do his best to forward us. This was pleasant, 
 after having paid our money for the whole distance 
 to a government functionary; but there was no help 
 for it, and we accepted our friend's kind offer with 
 thanks. Next morning he gave us a lift in his buggy 
 for twenty miles to Mooteearree, where he informed 
 
 us a most capital fellow, Mr. T , an indigo 
 
 planter, resided. Some shooting might be had at 
 snipes and wild fowl, and while we were engaging 
 ourselves in that way, our palanquins were to be 
 brought on by a number of bearers who would 
 take us then to Peprah, some thirty miles farther. 
 A princely fellow, indeed, we found Mr. T. He 
 was delighted to see us, and the snipe shooting 
 was first rate. I never saw such thousands of 
 these birds in my life. The marsh was very ex- 
 tensive, and they got up in clouds, so many at 
 once, that we hardly knew which to fire at. After 
 this capital sport, we returned to dine at T's hos- 
 pitable mansion, and that evening took leave of 
 our liberal host, who warmly pressed us to stop 
 the month out there. 
 
 We arrived next morning at Peprah, and with 
 

 TIGER HUNTING. 6'7 
 
 the assistance of another indigo planter there, 
 obtained a fresh supply of bearers to take us 
 to Betteah, where we found our horses waiting. 
 Mr. J. had gone on, leaving word for us to join 
 him at Boggah, some twenty or thirty miles 
 farther. We breakfasted at Betteah, and there 
 mounted our nags and proceeded, but lost our 
 way; and after riding about the jungle all day 
 got into Boggah late at night, tired to death, and 
 hungry as hunters. From this place, we found 
 Mr. J. had again moved on ; and consequently 
 we could get nothing to eat. His encampment 
 was eight miles further on in the jungle ; our 
 horses were knocked up, and we had nothing for 
 it but to bivouac under the trees for the night. 
 In the morning we rode on, and met Mr. J. just 
 going out. He had killed a tiger the day be- 
 fore, and we found our howdah elephants all 
 ready with fourteen others for beaters. The 
 howdah generally is made something like the 
 body of a phaeton. The sportsman sits in the 
 front seat, and on each side of him, are two 
 divisions for the butts of his guns, the barrels of 
 which rest upon a kind of splash board in front, 
 in which grooves are made to admit them. There 
 is a door on each side of the front seat, which is 
 secured by strong iron hooks. In the seat behind, 
 a native is placed, whose business it is to hold an 
 
68 ADVENTURE WITH A LION. 
 
 umbrella over his master's head. Some people 
 have their guns loaded by these men; but I 
 should decline trusting that operation to a native. 
 The howdahs thus described are liable to many 
 objections. The doors weaken the frame very 
 much, and frequent accidents have occurred to 
 sportsmen, when leaning over the front piece 
 to get a shot, by its giving way, and precipitating 
 them into the jaws of the infuriated animal. 
 
 An accident of this kind occurred to an officer, 
 when lion-shooting. The front of his howdah 
 gave way, and he fell close to the lion, which 
 immediately seized, and walked off with him. 
 I do not exactly know how he was rescued from 
 this perilous situation; but he used to tell the 
 story at mess, and amuse everybody very much 
 by the quaint way in which he related it. " I 
 was worse off than Daniel," he used to say, u for 
 Daniel was in the lion's den, but by Jove, I was 
 in the lion's mouth." 
 
 When in Calcutta, I saw another officer who 
 had been carried off by a tiger, and was only 
 saved by his extraordinary presence of mind. 
 I believe he also fell into the jaws of the brute 
 by his howdah giving way; but however that 
 was, the tiger seized, and carried him off. His 
 friends were afraid to fire at the beast, lest they 
 should kill the officer. Fortunately, he had a 
 
 ^S^^. "~ 
 
AWKWARD PREDICAMENT. 69 
 
 brace of pistols with him ; and; while the tiger 
 was taking him away, he drew one and discharged 
 it into his body. The only effect which this 
 produced, was to make the savage beast clench 
 his teeth still deeper into the flesh of his victim, 
 and growl with rage. But one chance now was 
 left, and our friend was resolved to make the 
 best of it. By getting firm hold of the long 
 hair about the neck of the animal, he managed 
 to work himself round in the tiger's mouth, so 
 as to be able to feel with his hand where the 
 heart of the monster beat strongest, and firing 
 his remaining pistol in that place, killed him on 
 the spot. His friends attracted by the shots 
 came up, and found him senseless, and the tiger 
 dead. The gentleman recovered, however, but 
 was always lame, from the dreadful lacerations 
 he had received. 
 
 The best howdahs are those made without 
 doors, of a strong wooden frame, covered with 
 buffalo hide. It is easy when mounting to step 
 over the side, and this plan precludes the possi- 
 bility of the front coming out. Four guns are 
 necessary for the howdah, two on each side, and 
 it is most convenient to have them of the same 
 bore. I have found great trouble when a tiger 
 was on foot, and I was loading in a hurry, from 
 the bullets being of different sizes, getting one 
 
70 JUNGLE FOWL. 
 
 now and then stuck half way down the barrel, 
 with no means at hand of drawing it up again, 
 and thus having one or more guns rendered 
 useless, at the very moment when they were 
 most required. A rifle is a most useless weapon 
 for tiger shooting. It takes so much longer to 
 load than a smooth bore, without any correspond- 
 ing advantage, as all tiger shooting is at close 
 quarters. If the brute charges, he is seldom 
 fired at a greater distance than twenty yards; 
 indeed, in most places the jungle is so thick 
 that it would be difficult to see even an elephant 
 at a greater distance. 
 
 After breakfast, we stepped into our howdahs, 
 and forming the fourteen pad elephants in line, 
 began to beat the jungle. We disturbed numbers 
 of different kinds of deer, wild hogs, pea-fowl, 
 partridges, and various kinds of game, including 
 many jungle fowl. These beautiful birds are 
 our common fowl in the wild state, and are the 
 gamest looking birds I ever saw. I used frequent- 
 ly to fancy myself in an English farm yard, 
 when I heard them crowing in every direction 
 round our tents. We passed many fresh car- 
 cases of bullocks and deer, in the high grass, 
 which had been killed by tigers; but we were 
 not successful in finding any of those beasts that 
 day. The fact was, we were too early in the 
 
A TIGER. 7i 
 
 season, and we therefore determined to shoot 
 every thing that came in our way, instead of 
 attending to the usual restriction of tiger parties 
 which prohibits the shooting anything but the 
 nobler prey. 
 
 The next day we killed a boa constrictor, twenty 
 two feet long ; and towards the evening J 
 who was in the centre of the line, got a shot at 
 and wounded a tiger in some high grass. The 
 brute took to the left where F was stationed ; 
 but the moment he broke cover, F 's elephant 
 bolted. F 's attendant, by some carelessness or 
 other, at this moment allowed the umbrella to 
 drop on the stern of the elephant. The terrified 
 brute I suppose thought it was the tiger that had 
 sprung on him, and giving the unfortunate um- 
 brella a kick with his hind leg sent it flying into 
 the jungle. During this confusion, the tiger made 
 his escape, and the evening closing in, we were 
 obliged reluctantly to leave him ; it was however 
 only for a time, as on a subsequent day J killed 
 him, and found he had hit him on the former oc- 
 casion upon the hip. The place had festered, as 
 is usually the case when these brutes are wounded, 
 and he would no doubt have died from its effects. 
 It is no trifling affair when an elephant takes it 
 into his head to run away, which they often will 
 on the sudden appearance of a tiger. It does not 
 
72 RUNAWAY ELEPHANT. 
 
 much matter in grass jungle, but such an event 
 has occurred to me twice when in a thick tree 
 jungle. The first time, the animal bolted just as I 
 was leaning over the howdah to get a shot, and 
 wheeling suddenly round, I very narrowly escaped 
 being thrown out. He went off at a rattling pace, 
 breaking down all the trees in his way. I was in 
 a very dangerous predicament, being elevated 
 among the branches, some of which I expected 
 every moment would dash my brains out. At one 
 sweep all my guns were knocked out, and I then 
 got under the seat of the howdah, which being for- 
 tunately very strongly made, stood the blows 
 pretty well. 
 
 When the animal was at last brought up by a 
 large cotton tree against which he got his head, 
 but could not break down, I emerged from my 
 place of shelter, and found the front of my how- 
 dah much damaged by the blows it had received 
 from the branches of the trees, during our unma- 
 nageable charger's run. To regain my guns was 
 not very easy, and occupied me a long time. The 
 elephant had got over nearly a mile of ground be- 
 fore he was stopped. The gun which I was in the 
 act of firing when he started, I was obliged to let 
 fall at that moment, in order to save myself from 
 being thrown out. It had fallen in a marshy 
 place, and the barrels were stuck nearly two feet 
 
TIGER HUNTING. 73 
 
 deep in the soft earthy both locks being on full 
 cock. Strange to say, neither had gone off with 
 the concussion of the fall. We were not very- 
 successful with the tigers on this trip, but shot 
 quantities of deer, hogs, and small game. 
 
 I should recommend any person starting from 
 Dinapore to send his elephants, horses, tents, in 
 fact, his whole establishment to Betteah, and 
 go to that place himself by dak, taking care that 
 his arrangements are made rather better than 
 mine were in this respect. From Betteah, he 
 should maroh as far as Muttanpore, which he can 
 do in four days easily, before he attempts to beat 
 for tigers; but when there, he will find ample 
 work for a week. Many tigers have been killed 
 at Muttanpore, and there are always some about 
 that part of the country. I once fell in with four 
 lying together in the grass at this place. From 
 Muttanpore he should cross the Gunduk river to 
 Busei, and in the Jhow jungle there, he will 
 assuredly find two or three. I was once beating 
 this jungle when mounted on an elephant belong- 
 ing to the Rajah of Betteah, and the mahout* 
 informed me that some time before, Colonel W 
 of the European Regiment, a famous tiger shooter, 
 had been on his elephant in the same place, 
 
 * A native who has charge of the elephant and who 
 manages him on all occasions. 
 
 E 
 
74 JUNGLE BEES. 
 
 and that in two mornings he had killed nine 
 tigers. 
 
 At Busei there is a gwallor, or herdsman, by 
 name Ramdeall. This fellow knows the haunt of 
 every tiger in the neighbourhood, and for a 
 buxees will not fail to point out where sport 
 may be had. It is necessary in this place, and 
 in fact all over the Terai,* to carry a couple of 
 blankets in the howdah, in case of being attacked 
 by the jungle bees. These little wretches are the 
 most ferocious animals I ever saw. Should one 
 of their nests, by any accident, be overturned 
 they sally out in swarms, and attack both ele- 
 phants and men. The only plan to adopt, is 
 immediately to wrap oneself up in a blanket, 
 through which they cannot sting. I once met a 
 gentleman who informed me he nearly lost his 
 life for want of this precaution. The bees at- 
 tacked him in millions, and stung him so severely, 
 that he was for a long time confined to his bed. 
 I once was out when a wounded tiger upset a 
 nest of these pestilent little insects. They, as 
 usual, attacked every body, and drove our whole 
 line back in disorder ; but I was fortunately pro- 
 vided with a covering to defend myself from their 
 tiny weapons. Several of the elephants, however, 
 
 * The name of an immense tract of jungle which is a 
 notorious resort of tigers, and other kinds of wild beasts. 
 
WILD ELEPHANTS. 75 
 
 became outrageous, and a friend of mine was 
 thrown out of his howdah. Some time elapsed 
 after we had rallied our forces at a distance, 
 and returned to the spot, before we could find 
 him in the jungle. Happily he was unhurt. 
 
 From Busei, it will be advisable to go on 
 up to the bank of the river, which swarms with 
 alligators to Bo war. When I was at this place, 
 I met a European gentleman who had obtained a 
 grant of land from government, and proposed 
 cultivating it. He was at this time living in a 
 tent with a few servants; but how he has suc- 
 ceeded in his speculation, I know not. He ap- 
 peared a very agreeable person, and happy to give 
 every information in his power. On a second 
 occasion, when I was in the Terai, I again met 
 him, when he informed me that he had built the 
 walls of a bungalow, and had only to roof it in, 
 when one night a herd of wild elephants came 
 down, and before morning destroyed all that his 
 people had been for months employed in erecting. 
 At Bowar there are always a few tigers, and 
 the deer are innumerable. They start up in the 
 grass jungle, at almost every step the elephants 
 take. 
 
 About nine or ten miles from Bowar, is a 
 nullah, called the Boggalee Nuddee. At this 
 place, 1 remember once being out with a party 
 
 e 2 
 
76 PELLET-BOWS. 
 
 when we killed six tigers in one afternoon. We 
 encamped at a place called Teekah. There is a 
 Nepaulese village here, the inhabitants of which 
 are very civil and obliging. They are great 
 hunters, and often kill the largest animals, even 
 tigers, in their nets. The nets which they employ 
 are made very strong, and a considerable extent 
 of jungle may be encircled with them. When 
 this has been done, a number of large dogs are 
 turned in to beat out the wild animals that may 
 be inside. These, on rushing violently forth, are 
 of course entangled in the nets, and the natives, 
 who remain outside armed with heavy iron-shod 
 clubs, soon close round them, and knock their 
 brains out, before they can free themselves from 
 the toils. I was much amused with the activity 
 of the fellows whom I saw engaged at this work. 
 They also use the pellet -bow, with great accuracy 
 of aim. These bows, with the exception of the 
 string, are precisely like those used for arrows. 
 They have a double string, and in the centre a 
 small cradle is made of platted hemp, or some- 
 thing of the kind, to receive a ball of clay baked 
 in the sun. This, when the bow is drawn, is 
 discharged with great force. I met a man one 
 day in the jungle, who knocked some pigeons and 
 other birds off the trees at astonishing distances 
 with one of these machines. 
 
WILD ELEPHANTS. 77 
 
 The village of Teekah is somewhat beyond the 
 boundary marks of the Company's territory ; 
 which is denoted by a chain of pillars of brick- 
 work running across the Terai. On one of these, 
 near Bowar, appears the name of the famous 
 Lieutenant John Shipp* cut out with a knife, 
 or other instrument. 
 
 In the Terai are many wild elephants. I never 
 fell in with any myself, but have frequently seen 
 their tracks. Many are caught by the natives 
 employed by the Rajahs residing near that part 
 of the country. A gentleman whom I met at 
 Goruckpoor, informed me he had been out several 
 times and seen many taken. He described the 
 mode of capture, as follows : In the rainy 
 season, at which time the wild elephants are 
 very numerous in the Terai, the hunters go out 
 on two or three very powerful tame elephants, 
 provided with some strong ropes. There is 
 no howdah, or pad of any kind on their backs, 
 so that it requires some degree of skill for the 
 riders to hold on. They then go in search of a 
 herd, and as soon as they fall in with one, the 
 tame animals mix themselves up with the others 
 as if they belonged to them. They manage to 
 keep clear of the old elephants, which are very 
 
 * Who so much distinguished himself in the Nepaulese 
 war and elsewhere. 
 
78 CATCHING WILD ELEPHANTS. 
 
 cunning and powerful, and then manoeuvre so as 
 to cut off any young one which may have strayed 
 a short distance from the others. As soon as 
 they have so far succeeded in their intention as 
 completely to surround him, they wait as if 
 grazing until the remainder have got some dis- 
 tance off. The young one, meanwhile, seeing 
 companions so near him takes no notice of the 
 departure of the main body. 
 
 When these have got sufficiently far away, the 
 hunter who is mounted on the nearest elephant 
 advances close to his victim, and throwing a rope 
 in the manner of a lasso, entangles him in its 
 coils. The other end of the rope being fastened 
 about the elephant which he rides, he at once 
 starts off, and drags the unwilling captive after 
 him. Should he struggle much, the other hun- 
 ters close round, and throw additional ropes until 
 he is completely entangled and escape is hopeless. 
 He is then taken to the camp and secured with 
 ropes ; and, in a very short time, by kind usage, 
 is domesticated. They only try this plan on 
 small elephants. The old ones, in the wild state, 
 are very fierce, and more than a match for half a 
 dozen of those which are domesticated. The 
 large ones are generally taken in pitfalls, num- 
 bers of which I have seen in Terai. Sometimes 
 also they are entrapped by means of a female 
 

 CATCHING WILD ELEPHANTS. 79 
 
 elephant fastened in the jungle with a broad 
 trench dug round her. The wild males, hearing 
 her cry, come to the spot, but the trench stops 
 them. No elephant is able to get across any 
 chasm that is wider than he can stretch his fore 
 feet over. They cannot jump ; and if the place 
 is deep, they never attempt to cross, knowing well 
 that if they be once in a hole, their immense 
 weight makes it extremely difficult to get out 
 again. They remain on the edge of the trench, 
 therefore, paying their devoirs to the lady at a 
 distance. Meanwhile, the hunters creep in 
 among them, and fasten on their legs strong 
 chains, which are secured to trees in the neigh- 
 bourhood, or to thick posts driven into the 
 ground. When they find out the snare, they are 
 at first outrageous ; but the natives picket a tame 
 female elephant on each side of them, which 
 alternately fondles and beats them into good be- 
 haviour. Being kept without food for some days, 
 their spirit is broken, and they soon allow a ma- 
 hout near them, who for a short period feeds and 
 caresses them, and then mounting on their necks, 
 renders them meek, gentle, and willing slaves. 
 
 It is astonishing how docile these animals be- 
 come after being for some time domesticated. 
 The mahout, his wife, children, and the elephant 
 all form one family. The elephant has his dinner 
 
80 SAGACITY OF ELEPHANTS. 
 
 of large cakes of unleavened bread, prepared for 
 him at the same time as his ruler, and they all 
 eat together. I have seen a mahout and his wife 
 go to the bazaar to make their daily purchases, 
 leaving their child, an infant not able to walk, in 
 charge of the elephant. It was really most 
 amusing and interesting to see the solicitude dis- 
 played by this gigantic nurse. As his little charge 
 would crawl nearly out of his reach from the 
 place where he was picketed, he would stretch out 
 his trunk and gently lifting the infant up place 
 him down near his feet. After playing about 
 some time, the child got tired and went to sleep, 
 the elephant meanwhile breaking off a green 
 branch from a neighbouring tree, waved it gently 
 backwards and forwards over the face of the 
 sleeping infant, lest the flies should disturb him 
 in his slumber. The creature might have been 
 taught to do this, but it still proves of what ex- 
 traordinary sagacity these animals are possessed. 
 
 I was once out on a tiger party in which 
 there was a female elephant remarkably tame and 
 sagacious. She used to come to our tents every 
 morning while we were breakfasting to beg for 
 pieces of bread, or anything else that was to be had. 
 On being presented with a piece of money, she 
 would walk off to the bazaar, and purchase sweet- 
 meats, and wo betide the dealer if he attempted 
 

 SAGACITY OF ELEPHANTS. 81 
 
 to cheat her. More than once, the mahout informed 
 us, she had pulled the whole shop over the heads 
 of knavish dealers who had not given her a fair 
 exchange for her money. She would draw the 
 cork from a bottle of beer with her trunk, no 
 matter how tightly it was hammered down, and 
 drink the contents. It appeared, indeed, that she 
 was given to strong liquors ; and the mahout told 
 us she had been repeatedly dead drunk when gen- 
 tlemen had given her a sufficient quantity of 
 spirits. Two buckets full, he informed us, was 
 about the quantity necessary to make her groggy. 
 We did not, however, try the experiment, think- 
 ing that an inebriated elephant in a close camp 
 would be about as pleasant a customer as a bull 
 in a china shop. 
 
 Tiger hunting is the noblest sport in which a 
 man can indulge, with the single exception of hog 
 hunting on horseback. I never was fortunate 
 enough to be stationed in any part of India where 
 this was to be obtained, as it is of course neces- 
 sary that the country should be partially open. 
 Wherever I have fallen in with hogs, it has been 
 in the thickest jungle, where to ride after them 
 would be impossible. To be a good pig-sticker, as 
 hog-hunters are technically called,aman must have 
 a very firm seat on horseback, be a bold rider, 
 have a strong arm, and iron nerves. His horse 
 
 e 3 
 
82 HOG HUNTING. 
 
 should be an Arab of great speed and bottom, 
 and a fine mouth is indispensable, everything 
 depending on the celerity with which he wheels 
 round when the hog charges. A party en- 
 gaged in this sport generally consists of three 
 huntsmen, armed with sharp spears on sohd 
 bamboo staves, and loaded with lead at the butts. 
 A number of natives are required for beaters ; and 
 when there is much cultivation of sugar canes in 
 a country, hogs are generally abundant. The 
 riders post themselves on the outside of the jungle, 
 while the natives are sent round to drive the 
 swine out. Little pigs are of course not worth 
 riding after unless the game is very scarce. When 
 a grizzly old boar makes his appearance, they are 
 after him at once. Off he goes at race-horse 
 speed; indeed, for the first mile it is difficult 
 for the fleetest horse to come up with him, if 
 he had any thing of a start. The sportsman who 
 first overtakes him generally tries, while riding 
 alongside of him, to drive his spear, overhanded, 
 between his shoulders, which would kill him in- 
 stantly. This is, however, exceedingly difficult 
 to do, as the hog has a most decided objection to 
 such a mode of proceeding, and generally turns 
 round and charges the moment he perceives his 
 pursuer abreast of him. This is the dangerous 
 time, and if the horse is not instantly wheeled 
 
HOG HUNTING. 83 
 
 round out of his way, he is sure to be ripped 
 up, and the rider will probably share the same 
 fate. A skilful hog-hunter, however, generally 
 manages to get out of the way, and drives 
 his weapon into the grunter's body. This is 
 what is termed getting first spear ; and if not 
 killed, the boar now becomes doubly savage. The 
 other riders are by this time up, and perhaps he 
 takes off again, when the same play is again 
 acted, until he comes to bay, when he is soon 
 despatched. Seldom, indeed, does a large boar 
 fall before he has inflicted some severe wounds 
 on his enemies. It is an expensive sport to 
 follow, because it is necessary to have the best 
 horses, and these are frequently done for by the 
 hogs ripping them up, or cutting their back 
 sinews. Moreover, the ground over which they 
 ride so desperately, is generally much broken, 
 and intersected with numerous ravines and 
 hollow places, down which both horse and rider 
 frequently fall in their headlong career. Old 
 wells are often found in the jungle which cannot 
 be perceived in the grass until close upon them ; 
 and they are exceedingly awkward places to tum- 
 ble into being commonly very deep. 
 
 When at Dinapore, we used to get up a humble 
 imitation of this sport by riding all over the 
 country, and spearing every pariah dog we fell in 
 
84 A BOBBERY PACK. 
 
 with, and once or twice the villagers' pigs met 
 with the same fate. These are the most disgusting 
 animals I ever saw, and are more than half wild. 
 I very well remember joining one day with a 
 number of other griffs, in purchasing a couple of 
 village pigs which, after poking them with sticks, 
 and using various means to make them savage, we 
 turned out and speared. On this occasion one of 
 our number being unprovided with a hog spear, 
 had borrowed that belonging to his chokedar,* a 
 totally different kind of weapon, having a long 
 spike at the lower end for the purpose of sticking 
 it in the ground, which is the custom of these 
 men. When the pigs were turned loose, our 
 young friend in his anxiety to get first spear, 
 using it underhanded like a knight of olden time 
 at a tournament, made a furious charge, but missed 
 the swine, and the spear-head being brought up 
 by the ground, he very narrowly escaped trans- 
 fixing himself on the long spike at the butt. 
 
 We also established at Dinapore what is called 
 in India a bobbery pack. This is a pack of dogs 
 of all sorts, no matter whether greyhounds, bull 
 dogs, or even pariahs. Curs of every degree were 
 admitted, and we certainly had a collection, to 
 determine the breeds of which would, I think, 
 have puzzled the most accomplished canine fancier. 
 * Watchman. 
 
TREATMENT OF DOGS. 85 
 
 Every member of the Dinapore hunt was obliged 
 to bring two dogs into the field, and we hunted 
 every evening. Plenty of foxes were to be pur- 
 chased at about a shilling a-piece ; and after all the 
 dogs had been collected and taken down to a plain 
 near the course, and the field assembled, we used 
 to turn them out of baskets, and great fun we had 
 with them. Of course our hounds did not run 
 by scent ; they had noses certainly, but such as 
 were capable of smelling little but their dinner. 
 The bull dogs and other heavy individuals of the 
 pack were, of course, soon thrown out, when they 
 used generally to amuse themselves with hunting 
 strange dogs that came near them, or baiting any 
 unfortunate jackass or bullock which they could 
 find grazing on the meidan.* 
 
 Well bred dogs are expensive in India, and 
 very liable to disease. No sportsman, therefore, 
 should be without some Treatise, from which he 
 may learn how to alleviate the sufferings, and 
 often, perhaps, save the lives of his faithful assist- 
 ants. I think Blaine's Canine Pathology is about 
 the best on this subject. White's Farriery is also 
 a valuable addition to the sportsman's library. 
 When a horse is sick in India, it is seldom that 
 any professional advice can be obtained, and the 
 natives know nothing of the treatment of the 
 A large plain. 
 
86 HORSES. 
 
 diseases to which it is liable. Every one, there- 
 fore, should study to obtain an insight into the 
 subject, sufficient to enable him to be of assistance 
 in case of need. I do not by any means recom- 
 mend men to run into an extreme as many do, 
 who are continually dosing their unfortunate quad- 
 rupeds whether they be ill or not, and are never 
 seen in their stable but with a glyster pipe 
 under one arm, and a balling iron under the 
 other. But much mischief may ensue in that 
 hot climate, when a disease, slight in itself at first, 
 is allowed to run on ; and the consequence often is, 
 the death of a valuable animal which a little care 
 and medical knowledge might have prevented. 
 
 In India every one who can afford it keeps 
 several horses. The natives judge of a man's 
 consequence, in great measure, by the number 
 of horses in his stud. Their keep costs nothing 
 compared with the expense in England. If one 
 horse only is kept, two servants are required for 
 him. The syce or groom, cleans him and runs 
 after his master when he rides out in order to 
 hold his horse whenever it may please him to 
 dismount. He also carries a chowrie of horse- 
 hair for the purpose of driving away the flies with 
 which the air of India teems, and which render a 
 high-spirited horse very fidgetty and unmanageable 
 by their blood-thirsty attacks. 
 
SYCES AND GRASS-CUTTERS. 87 
 
 It is astonishing how far these men will run 
 alongside a horse going at a smart pace. I have 
 frequently seen them keep up with a buggy for 
 eight or ten miles when the horse has been going 
 at a sharp trot. By being accustomed to this 
 kind of thing from childhood, they are always in 
 such excellent wind that a run of the sort requires 
 no particular effort. The Mussulmans make much 
 better syces than the Hindoos. They become 
 fond of the animal which they tend, while the 
 naturally avaricious disposition of the Hindoo, 
 generally prompts him to steal, every day, a cer- 
 tain portion of the allowance of corn which, when 
 by repeated petty thefts it amounts to a few 
 seers,* he sells in the bazaar. The pay of a good 
 syce is about five rupeesf a month. With this 
 sum they feed themselves, and must always be 
 respectably dressed to attend their masters on 
 their rides or drives. 
 
 The other servant is called the grass-cutter. 
 His business is to go out every morning into the 
 country, and return in the evening with a suffici- 
 ent quantity of grass for the next day's consump- 
 tion. This he cuts with a tool much resembling 
 a carpenter's chisel, and after beating the grass, 
 which is shaved off close to the roots with a fork- 
 
 * One seer is about 2lb. English weight. 
 t Ten shillings. 
 
88 HADJEEPORE FAIR. 
 
 ed stick to clear away the earth, he makes it up 
 into a bundle and carries it home on his head. 
 The monthly pay of this functionary varies from 
 three to four rupees. 
 
 About ten miles from Dinapore, at a place 
 called Hadjeepore, there is annually held a large 
 fair, to which thousands of horses are brought for 
 sale from all parts of India. The Asiatic horse- 
 dealers are if possible a more knowing and knavish 
 race than those of Europe. The horses of Hin- 
 dostan are often of the most vicious disposition ; 
 every species of vice that was ever known is 
 sometimes embodied in one animal of this breed. 
 They will attack a man open mouthed, and if 
 they could once get him down would tear him to 
 pieces with their teeth. It is singular that the 
 finest looking horses seem generally the worst in 
 this respect, and their owners use all sorts of arti- 
 fices to disguise their real disposition. They dose 
 them with opium, and, while under the influence 
 of the drug, they appear the most docile animals 
 in existence. 
 
 1 was once taken in at Hadjeepore by one of 
 these man-eaters, as they are called in India. 
 Having gone down to the fair with some other 
 officers for the purpose of looking at the horses, 
 I was most struck by the appearance of an animal 
 which I saw performing a variety of tricks by com- 
 

 HORSE-DEALERS. 89 
 
 mand of the native dealer to whom he belonged. He 
 was a stout well made cob, and after a great deal of 
 bargaining, I purchased him. In two or three days, 
 the effects of the narcotic with which he had been 
 drugged wore off, and he turned out the most 
 ferocious devil I ever beheld in the shape of a 
 horse. No syce dare go near him, and I had 
 great difficulty in getting rid of the brute. 
 
 The dealers in horses have a singular mode of 
 bargaining for their steeds. They always ask at 
 first a most extravagant price ; but this is under- 
 stood by both purchaser and seller to be for no 
 other object than to mislead the bystanders, whose 
 curiosity may have brought them round the spot, 
 as to the actual value set on the horse by his 
 owner. The bargaining parties then sit down on 
 the ground facing each other, and a horsecloth is 
 thrown between them. Under this they both put 
 their hands, and the rest of the negociation is 
 carried on by signs made by manipulation under 
 the blanket. The purchaser, perhaps, offers half 
 the original sum demanded. The dealer strikes 
 his breast with his hands, and looking up to 
 Heaven, seems astonished at the other's want of 
 conscience. A great deal of haggling on both 
 sides takes place, and it is frequently a consider- 
 able time before the bargain is closed. When 
 it is, however, and the customer takes his pur- 
 
90 HORSE-RACES. 
 
 chase away, no one but the contracting parties 
 themselves know what has been paid for the 
 horse. 
 
 The origin of the custom, I imagine, is this : 
 purchasers in India generally pay according to 
 their rank. Thus a man of inferior rank will 
 probably purchase a horse for half the sum which 
 a Rajah or rich native would have to pay for the 
 same animal. 
 
 During the fair which generally lasts about a 
 week or ten days, horse-races take place. There 
 is a regular course, and some of the running 
 is very good. The horses generally belong to 
 officers and civilians from neighbouring stations, 
 and indigo planters from Tirhoot. The jockeys 
 are usually native boys trained for the purpose 
 from early youth. Some of the most spirited 
 members of the turf, however, keep European 
 jockeys. 
 
 The running horses are commonly Arabs. 
 Few of the country horses have speed or bottom 
 at all to be compared with these imported ani- 
 mals. The East India Company, however, have 
 of late years much improved the breed of horses, 
 in many parts of the country, by the formation of 
 studs for the purpose of keeping up a regular 
 supply of well-bred animals for the use of their 
 cavalry. The sires are all famous English or Arab 
 
BREEDING OF HORSES. 91 
 
 stallions and the mares country bred. Many of 
 these belong to the Zemindars*, who are in the 
 habit of breeding horses. Their mares are cover- 
 ed by government horses free of any expense, but 
 the owners are bound to present the foal when a 
 year old for the inspection of the officer in charge 
 of the Company's stud. If it be of a certain 
 height, and be otherwise approved of by the 
 inspector, he is purchased for the Company. If 
 he be under the regulated standard he is rejected, 
 and the Zemindar may then sell him to whomso- 
 ever he likes. 
 
 Many of these rejected colts, however stunted 
 their growth in the first year, frequently spring 
 up afterwards, and beautiful well-bred horses, of 
 fifteen hands and upwards, may consequently be 
 picked up from the native breeders at prices varying 
 from three hundred to five hundred rupees.f When 
 any of the full- sized horses from the stud are al- 
 lowed to be sold to officers requiring them, the 
 price fixed by government is a thousand rupees.J 
 Many of the colts purchased by the Company's 
 agents, although they may be the full height re- 
 quired at a year old, never attain the height of 
 fifteen hands, which is the regulated standard for 
 
 * Farmers. 
 
 f 300 rupees, 30 ; 500 rupees, 50. 
 
 X 100. 
 
92 ARABS. 
 
 the cavalry. When the horses have attained the 
 age of four years, they are examined by a committee 
 of cavalry officers, and those under the required 
 size are rejected as too small. These undersized 
 nags may be purchased by private individuals 
 for the price of four hundred rupees each. They 
 are capital cattle, and I think them generally able 
 to perform more work than those of the full 
 size. When many are rejected, and for which 
 there are no applications, they are sold by auction, 
 and generally fetch on an average about three 
 hundred rupees each. They are frequently worth 
 a great deal more, and I certainly prefer the best 
 bred of them to the Arab, as being equal to more 
 work and being much better horses in every way. 
 The Arab is certainly a delightful animal to ride 
 in a canter or gallop ; and they are such docile, 
 quiet creatures, although full of spirit, that one 
 cannot help liking them. They do not trot well, 
 and when walking, trip at almost every inequality 
 on the road, which is a great nuisance. A good 
 horse of this breed may be purchased from the 
 Arabian dealers, who travel about the upper part 
 of India with strings of them, for about one 
 hundred pounds. A very superior animal, how- 
 ever, will cost three or four thousand rupees*. 
 
 * 300 or 400. 
 

 SAILING ON THE GANGES. 93 
 
 The reason given for their constant stumbling in 
 their walk, is, that in Arabia, the whole soil of 
 the country being loose sand, they have nothing 
 to trip them up, and consequently they get into 
 a careless way of going close to the ground, 
 of which habit they can never afterwards be 
 broken. 
 
 The river Ganges at Dinapore is very wide, and 
 sailing in pleasure boats is a great source of 
 amusement to the officers stationed there. Some 
 fatal accidents have, however, taken place by the 
 boats being upset in sudden squalls which are 
 very frequent and violent. While my regiment 
 was there, a young officer belonging to a native 
 corps was drowned. He, and one or two others, 
 had had a boat of large size built, and schooner 
 rigged, but she was very crank, and over-masted. 
 Some of the officers of the 31st were sailing at 
 the same time, and saw the schooner at a dis- 
 tance carrying a press of canvass. A sudden 
 squall came on, and their attention was com- 
 pletely taken up by the management neces- 
 sary to preserve their own boat from being 
 capsized. 
 
 When the wind abated they looked about to 
 see how the others had weathered it ; but to their 
 surprise the schooner was nowhere to be seen. 
 When the squall came on, the sheets had unfor- 
 
94 THE GANGES. 
 
 tunately been belayed to the seats, and she imme- 
 diately upset and sank. Two of the party saved 
 themselves by swimming, but the other was 
 drowned. Several native boats passed the place 
 while he was struggling with the waves ; but none 
 would lend a hand to help him, little as was the 
 effort required to save him from a watery grave. 
 
 When the men were asked why they had not 
 saved him, they replied, / f They had no orders to 
 do so, and what was it to do with them ?" The 
 mild Hindoo as he is called, is, I believe, devoid 
 of all feeling for his fellow creatures. One solitary 
 passion seems to engross his soul the love of 
 money. Compared with the avarice of the Hindoo, 
 that of the Jew is liberality itself. 
 
 In the rainy season, the Ganges overflows a 
 great part of the flat country near it, and whole 
 villages are frequently carried away by the floods. 
 The current runs at a most astonishing rate, and 
 I have seen hundreds of natives carried down the 
 stream on the roofs of their huts, which being 
 made of light bamboo and straw, float for a long 
 time. None of their fellow-countrymen will 
 stretch forth a hand to save these unfortunate 
 wretches. They will sit on the deck of their 
 boats coolly smoking their Nerreallees/* and look 
 
 * A rude hookah formed from a cocoa-nut shell. 
 
ANECDOTES. 95 
 
 on with the utmost indifference as ever and anon 
 an exhausted wretch loses his hold of the piece of 
 timber, or whatever he may have clung to in his 
 distress, when after having been whirled round in 
 the eddies for a few moments, the waters close 
 over his head for ever, perhaps not five yards 
 from the apathetic beast who is dignified with the 
 name of a man. 
 
 Many of the unfortunate creatures exposed to 
 these perils, during the rainy season, while our 
 regiment was stationed at Dinapore, were saved 
 by one of our officers who lived on the bank of the 
 river. Whenever any of them were seen strug- 
 gling in the torrent, he instantly went out to 
 their rescue, and brought in as many as his boat 
 would contain. I never shall forget the return 
 made him by a party of three or four whom he 
 had saved. The moment he retired into his 
 house they stole the oars and sails of the boat, 
 by means of which he had assisted them in their 
 hour of need. This was the gratitude of the mild 
 and gentle Hindoo. 
 
 At Dinapore, many young men rest a few days 
 when going by water to join their regiments 
 higher up the country. Some curious stories 
 are told of the sporting adventures of these 
 youths. One remarked that he had eaten such a 
 quantity of wild turkeys during his voyage that 
 
96 SPORTING GRIFFS. 
 
 he had got quite tired of them. His hearers 
 stared, knowing that such a bird is unknown in 
 the wild state in India, and they began to think 
 their young friend was drawing rather largely on 
 their credulity. On a subsequent evening, how- 
 ever, while riding on the bank of the river, he 
 pointed out a number of these wild turkeys con- 
 gregated together. His unbelieving friends had 
 a hearty laugh when they discovered that he had 
 been shooting and eating the vultures, which 
 frequent the river side in great numbers for the 
 purpose of feeding on the dead bodies which are 
 constantly floating down. At a short distance 
 they have very much the appearance of turkeys. 
 
 Another party of these hopeful youths had 
 been out shooting and killed a number of paddy 
 birds. When they returned to their boat, they 
 inquired the name of these of their kitmutgar.* 
 He, not understanding English, thought they 
 were inquiring if they were good to eat, and 
 replied at once, u Kooch kam ke neh Sahib ;" 
 meaning to say they were good for nothing, not 
 fit to eat. The griffs ordered them to be made 
 into a pie for dinner; and going into the station, 
 told their friends they had had splendid sport; 
 and wishing to show off their knowledge of the 
 
 * Servant who attends dinner, &c. 
 
SPORTING GRIFFS. 97 
 
 Hindostanee name of their game, invited them to 
 their boat to partake of the Kooch kam ke neh pie. 
 Another, while out shooting in a jheel with an 
 officer of ours, happened to espy the long neck of 
 a paddy bird erected above the rushes. At the 
 moment he was asking his bearer what it was, 
 the bird popped its head down again. The 
 bearer pointing out the fact to his master, said in 
 Hindostanee, " Goos geha Sahib," which signifies 
 in English, " he has hidden himself." Our griff, 
 however, thought the bearer was informing him 
 of its species, and wishing to shoot such a large 
 and shy bird, neglected firing at a flock of ducks 
 which passed close by him. His companion 
 wondering at this, shouted and pointed them out, 
 thinking they had not been seen. To this our 
 precocious sportsman replied, " Oh hang the 
 ducks, man, here's a goose I? 
 
9S GHAZEEPORE. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Departure from Dinapore Station of Ghazeepore Attah of 
 roses Duck-shooting Indian thieves Showers of fish 
 Fruits The pine-apple Snakes, musk-rats and mos- 
 quitoes Agra The Taj Mahal Ruins Wolves Fa- 
 mine at Agra Sporting at Agra Grand entertainment 
 given by the Rajah of Bhurtpore Ice establishment. 
 
 We were all heartily sick of Dinapore, when in 
 October, 1838, a sudden order arrived for us to 
 march and relieve the 44th at Ghazeepore. This 
 station is about a hundred miles higher up the 
 country, and is also situated on the bank of the 
 Ganges, but on the opposite side of the river. 
 The women and heavy baggage of the regiment 
 were sent up in country boats under the com- 
 mand of a captain, while the battalion marched 
 by land. 
 
 There was very little shooting to be had on the 
 
ATTAH OF ROSES. 99 
 
 road, and altogether this march was one of a very 
 uninteresting description. We arrived at our 
 new station in about twelve days, and were 
 generally much pleased at our removal. At 
 Ghazeepore, which name signifies u Garden of 
 roses," the officers live in detached bungalows, 
 each having large compounds. This is much 
 more pleasant than being quartered in barracks, 
 which is the case at Dinapore. Great quantities 
 of rose-water and Attah-of-rose sare manufactured 
 at this station. We were besieged for the first 
 week by numbers of itinerant dealers in these 
 commodities. The real attah is excessively 
 scarce. They say it requires fourteen thousand 
 flowers to make a single drop. The whole of 
 that which the hawkers assured us was the 
 genuine perfume, and which the officers pur- 
 chased at an extravagant price, turned out to be 
 nothing but sandal-wood oil. Great numbers of 
 roses are grown all about the neighbourhood, and 
 hundreds of acres of ground are covered by the 
 bushes. Many people who have never been at 
 the station hearing this imagine the sight must 
 be very beautiful. This is not the case; the 
 flowers are all gathered during the night, the 
 moment they burst the bud, so that a person 
 may reside a long time in the station and never 
 see a rose on its parent stem. 
 
 f 2 
 
100 DUCK SHOOTING. 
 
 The country about Ghazeepore is flat and 
 marshy, and is consequently very unhealthy. 
 Thousands of every kind of wild-fowl are found 
 on the numerous jheels in the vicinity ; and the 
 lover of duck shooting is here in his glory. Snipes 
 are also pretty plentiful ; I have frequently shot 
 ten or twelve brace within half a mile of the 
 barracks. I built punts on the plan of that fa- 
 mous sportsman, Colonel Hawker, and wrote home 
 to England for a swivel gun, with which, when it 
 arrived, I played no little havoc with the wild 
 ducks, which I fancy, had no reason to congratu- 
 late themselves on our arrival. No lover of wild- 
 fowl shooting should be without that excellent 
 work of Colonel Hawker's, " Instructions to Young 
 Sportsmen/ 5 The Colonel has paid more atten- 
 tion to this kind of shooting, than any other 
 sporting writer of the day. All the methods 
 which he recommends to get within shot of these 
 shy birds, I adopted with great success. He 
 has evidently learned them by experience, and not 
 by hearsay. 
 
 In order to enjoy wild-fowl-shooting in India 
 to any extent, it is necessary of course to.be pro- 
 vided with a duck gun. One of about fourteen 
 pounds weight, with a barrel of from four feet to 
 four feet six inches in length, and seven or eight 
 bore is, I think, the best size. A gun of this 
 
INDIAN THIEVES. 101 
 
 description can very well be discharged from the 
 shoulder without a rest, and will carry about four 
 ounces of shot. 
 
 Ghazeepore is a famous place for thieves. Scarcely 
 a night passed while we were there without a rob- 
 bery taking place in the barracks, or some of the 
 bungalows. The Indian thieves are, I suppose, 
 the most expert in the world. The quartermaster 
 sergeant of the regiment, when we were at this 
 station, was a very corpulent and heavy man. The 
 staff- sergeants had bungalows, and his was situated 
 on the left of the line of barracks : one night his 
 house was entered by robbers, who not only 
 cleared it of every thing portable that was lying 
 about, but absolutely stole the very bed-clothes 
 from under the fat sergeant himself and his sleep- 
 ing family without disturbing one of them. When 
 they awoke in the morning they were lying on the 
 bare mattrasses. This is a common trick with Indian 
 thieves, and the way in which they manage it, is 
 this. The robber before he enters a house, or tent, 
 first strips and anoints himself all over with oil, 
 which is done in order that in case any person 
 should be awake and seize the intruder, he might 
 be enabled to slip like an eel from his grasp. 
 Thus prepared, he creeps into the dweltthg as 
 noiselessly as possible. 
 
 The nights in India are generally very close and 
 
102 INDIAN THIEVES. 
 
 oppressive, and the sleep of most people, although 
 heavy, is uneasy and disturbed. Of this the thief 
 takes advantage. He quietly crouches down 
 close under the bed, and with a feather gently 
 tickles the nose of the sleeper, who, half dozing, 
 rubs it and turns on his couch. While he is 
 doing this, the sheet on which he is lying is with- 
 drawn a little from under him by the thief. 
 When he is fast asleep again, a second application 
 of the feather causes another turn, and again a 
 little more of the sheet is pulled away. The thief 
 then goes on the other side, and the tickling is 
 continued until the sheet is completely withdrawn 
 from under the unconscious sleeper. The opera- 
 tion takes some time, but is always so nicely 
 managed that I believe there is no case on record 
 of the slumberer being awakened while the rob- 
 bery was going forward. 
 
 I have heard many other anecdotes of the 
 dexterity of thieves, which I have no doubt are 
 authentic. One referred to the robbery of a 
 gentleman who rejoiced in the possession of a 
 very splendid silver mounted hookah which he 
 was in the habit of smoking every evening. 
 One night when on a march, and while enjoy- 
 ing the luxury of a most fragrant chillum,* his 
 
 * A fragrant composition of tobacco, sugar, and various 
 spices, which is smoked in a hookah. 
 
INDIAN THIEVES. 103 
 
 hookah burdar,* who was in attendance, re- 
 quested leave to go to the bazaar for a short time. 
 This was acceded to, and he departed. About the 
 time that the chillum was nearly ended, he appar- 
 ently returned, and stood with arms folded accord- 
 ing to custom behind his master's chair. When 
 the gentleman had solaced himself sufficiently with 
 his favourite luxury, he threw down the snake, 
 and the hookah was carried out in due form 
 by the attendant, and the embroidered carpet 
 carefully folded up and taken away. He had not 
 been gone five minutes, when the gentleman was 
 astonished by the sudden appearance of his 
 hookah burdar, rushing into his tent in a state of 
 semi-nudity, beating his breast and indulging 
 in most noisy lamentations. It appeared that, 
 when he departed for the bazaar, according to the 
 custom of native servants, he had taken off the 
 clean white clothes in which he attended his 
 master, in order that they might not be soiled, 
 and laid them down between the inner and outer 
 khanautsf of the tent. 
 
 A thief who was prowling about the place saw 
 him do this and immediately on his departure, 
 
 * Servant whose sole business it is to clean his master'9 
 hookah and prepare his chillum. 
 f Khanauts, walls of a tent. 
 
104 INDIAN THIEVES. 
 
 clothing himself in the hookah burdar's habili- 
 ments, took his place in the tent, and possessed 
 himself of the gentleman's splendid hookah and 
 appurtenances in the cool manner which I have 
 described. 
 
 Whenever people go out to dinner in India, 
 each person is attended by his own kitmutgar, 
 who stands behind his master's chair during 
 dinner and attends upon him. A gentleman once 
 giving a large party, just before dinner, went into 
 his dining-room where the table was laid out, and 
 observed a kitmutgar very handsomely dressed 
 altering the arrangement of the table. The gen- 
 tleman supposing this man was the servant of 
 one of his guests, took no notice and rejoined 
 his party. Great, however, was his surprise, 
 when in a few moments his servants rushed in 
 and informed him that he had not a single silver 
 article left on his table. The smart kitmutgar whom 
 he had observed, now turned out to be a thief, 
 who had introduced himself to the servants of the 
 house as the attendant of one of the gentlemen 
 who had arrived, and of course was allowed to go 
 in and out at his pleasure. He had been busied 
 when seen by the gentleman in picking out the 
 silver articles from those which were plated. The 
 whole of the former description were carried off, 
 while the latter were left untouched. The clever 
 
SHOWER OF FISH. 105 
 
 knave owed his success, of course, to his cool 
 assurance, in taking no notice of the master of 
 the house, or discontinuing his employment when 
 he unexpectedly made his appearance. 
 
 We found Ghazeepore very unhealthy during 
 the rains, and the bungalows being principally 
 built of unburnt bricks were exceedingly uncomfort- 
 able. Some part of them used to fall down after 
 every heavy shower, and the roofs allowed the 
 water to come through in streams. While here 
 I witnessed for the first time, what has been 
 generally considered in England a traveller's 
 tale. I mean a shower of fish. During the first 
 rainy season we were at this station, I more than 
 once picked up fish of three and four inches 
 long in my compound,* and on the roof of my 
 house after a heavy shower. 
 
 There are a great number of mango trees 
 about this station, and the fruit was very plen- 
 tiful. I also obtained some of the best pine- 
 apples while here that I ever tasted in India. 
 
 The Hindostanee name of the pine-apple is Ona- 
 nas, and a very good story is told of a joke made 
 by a young cadet in Calcutta on an old civilian 
 with whom he was dining. The old gentleman 
 was very prosy, and seemed inflated with pro- 
 
 * A piece of ground generally enclosed by a wall in the 
 centre of which the house stands. 
 
 F 3 
 
106 RATS AND SNAKES. 
 
 digious ideas of his own consequence. He told 
 interminable stories about himself and his wealth, 
 until every body got quite sick of them. At last, 
 the young man could stand it no longer, and 
 pointing to a pine-apple on the table, addressed 
 his host as follows : " Pray, sir, why is your 
 coat like that fruit?' 5 The leaden-headed elder 
 considered for some time, but was unable to 
 solve the riddle. " Because, sir," was the an- 
 swer, " it is on an ass." (Onanas.) 
 
 During the rainy season we were much an- 
 noyed by the number of snakes and rats which 
 infested our bungalows. These vermin abso- 
 lutely swarmed in every apartment. The snakes 
 were of the most poisonous description and of 
 course exceedingly dangerous. I killed several 
 in my bedroom, and my wife* was much alarmed 
 two or three times by the appearance of a large 
 cobra di capello, in her bath room. The venom- 
 ous reptile used to come in through the drain 
 which was made for carrying off the water, and 
 she therefore desired the ayahf to stop the 
 aperture up. This was done ; but a day or 
 
 * It may little interest the reader, but as it is necessary 
 to the understanding of some passages in the succeeding 
 pages of this work, I may state that I married just before 
 leaving Dinapore. 
 
 f A native female attendant. 
 

 SNAKES. 107 
 
 two afterwards on going to take the customary 
 morning bath, she was much frightened by the 
 appearance of the snake standing erect, with his 
 hood extended, in a corner of the room. On 
 hearing her scream, I rushed to the place and 
 soon with a stick despatched the intruder. 
 
 The opening of the drain, it appeared, had 
 been partially stopped up by small pieces of brick; 
 but the reptile had still managed to squeeze him- 
 self through. When inside, he had caught and 
 swallowed a musk-rat, which so considerably in- 
 creased his bulk, that he could not make his 
 retreat by the small hole through which he had 
 entered, and thus lost his life through his glut- 
 tony. 
 
 It is seldom that an European is bitten, 
 although instances of very narrow escapes are 
 constantly occurring. An officer of ours, one 
 morning, put his foot out of bed into one of 
 his slippers. The other fortunately was a little 
 out of his reach, for on his getting up to take 
 it, he discovered a small karait, a most poisonous 
 snake, coiled up inside it. Had the slipper been 
 near enough to the bed to allow him to put 
 his foot in without rising, he would assuredly 
 have been bitten and lost his life. 
 
 I remember, also, having had a narrow escape 
 one night, in the rainy season, from one of the 
 
108 MUSK-RATS. 
 
 same species. It was so oppressively hot that 
 I could not sleep. I got up and began to walk 
 about the room, in which darkness was just ren- 
 dered visible, by the dim light of a cheerag* 
 burning in an adjoining apartment. While doing 
 so, I remarked, what I thought was a piece of 
 shoe-string lying on the ground, and put forward 
 my bare foot to ascertain by the feel if I was 
 right in my conjecture. To my astonishment 
 it moved, and glided rapidly away. In the ob- 
 scurity which veiled every part of the room, 
 excepting where a faint gleam of the cheerag was 
 thrown through the doorway, I could not per- 
 ceive where it had retired. The next day, how- 
 ever, I had a regular clear out, and killed the 
 gentleman in his hiding place under the mat 
 on the floor. Such instances as these take place 
 every day in the rainy season in India. 
 
 The musk-rats which infest the Indian bunga- 
 lows are a great nuisance from the disgusting 
 smell which they emit. So strong is this abomi- 
 nable scent, that incredible as it may appear, if a 
 musk-rat runs over bottles containing wine or any 
 other liquor, although they may be tightly corked 
 and sealed, and the bottles covered with straw, 
 the contents will be utterly spoilt, being com- 
 
 * A Hindostanee lamp made of burnt mud. 
 
RATS. 109 
 
 pletely impregnated with the vile odour of the 
 vermin. 
 
 The common rats are nearly as great a plague. 
 During the whole night they will scuttle and 
 scramble about the house disturbing every body 
 by their gambols. Their depredations, also, are 
 most daring and quite in the wholesale line. I 
 remember once at Ghazeepore, after a review, 
 taking off my coat and accoutrements and throw- 
 ing them down on a sofa. From among the 
 things a silk handkerchief and my dress sash 
 were speedily missing. As the natives are very 
 fond of silk articles, I naturally suspected that 
 the servants had stolen them, and, accordingly, 
 they were apprised that if the missing things were 
 not found their wages would be stopped to replace 
 them. Some days after this occurrence, I dis- 
 covered a rat hole through the false screen in 
 front of the fire-place, and on removing it, not 
 only found the missing handkerchief and sash, 
 but about half-a-dozen napkins and towels which 
 had been lost from time to time. These were all 
 evidently carried thither and made into a bed by 
 the rats. They must have taken the towels from 
 off a wooden horse in my dressing room, and 
 dragged them across two other apartments to 
 their hiding place. 
 
 Mosquitoes and white ants also swarmed at 
 
110 CITY OF AGRA. 
 
 Ghazeepore, and we were not sorry, after having 
 been at the station for two years, when one fine 
 morning the route came with an order for us to 
 proceed to Agra to relieve the 9th regiment at 
 that station. The distance between these two 
 stations is about six weeks 5 march. A great part 
 of this was through a very good sporting country. 
 Pea-fowl, partridges, quails and hares, were plen- 
 tiful enough, and the j heels we passed literally 
 swarmed with wild fowl. Shooting parties were 
 formed every day after completing the usual 
 march, and whole hecatombs of game fell before 
 our Mantons and Purdeys. 
 
 The city of Agra is, I believe, one of the most 
 ancient and extensive in India. There is a large 
 fort on a most magnificent scale which was 
 erected, it is said, by Akbar the Great. The 
 interior of the palace and mosques is built of white 
 marble, most beautifully inlaid with jasper, lapis 
 lazuli and other precious stones; while the zenanas 
 or women's apartments are most elaborately deco- 
 rated with carved work inside and out. The case- 
 ments which are composed of trellis work, cut out 
 of slabs of marble, are unfortunately perforated in 
 many places by cannon shot. The large black marble 
 slab on which the kings of India were crowned is 
 in this fort. The stronghold itself, the walls of 
 which are very high, and of solid masonry, would 
 

 THE TAJ MAHAL. Ill 
 
 be impregnable to the force of any native power. 
 There is a broad ditch which can be filled at 
 pleasure from the river, and the outworks are 
 numerous and extensive. It fell, however, to 
 Lord Lake in the year 1800. Inside the fort 
 may be seen the tombs of those officers who were 
 killed during the siege. 
 
 But the greatest ornaments of which Agra can 
 boast is the beautiful Taj, the eighth wonder of 
 the world. This extraordinary building was erected 
 by Shah Jehan as a monument over his favourite 
 Sultana Noormahal. If his love alone inspired 
 the conception of so magnificent a design, it must 
 have been great indeed. It is totally impossible 
 to describe the exquisite taste and workmanship 
 displayed in this nonpareil of buildings. It stands 
 on the side of the river Jumna in the centre of the 
 most beautiful pleasure grounds, which forcibly 
 bring to mind the description in the Arabian 
 Nights of the superb gardens of the Caliph 
 Haroun Alraschid. The tomb itself is raised on 
 a large platform of the purest white marble. At 
 each corner of this is a lofty minaret of the same 
 material. In the centre is the Taj itself; which 
 is also of white marble and surmounted by a 
 dome. Round all the entrances are inlaid verses 
 from the Koran, the letters being of black marble. 
 The whole structure, inside and out, is most 
 
112 THE TAJ MAHAL. 
 
 exquisitely carved, and covered with mosaic 
 work, consisting of fruit and flowers of various 
 coloured precious stones, so beautifully executed 
 that they resemble the most admirable paintings. 
 There are several apartments, and altogether the 
 edifice is of vast extent. 
 
 It is said that Shah Jehan contemplated building 
 another cemetery of like grandeur for himself, on 
 the opposite side of the river, but death pre- 
 vented his executing the design. The magnificent 
 monarch was buried at the side of his beloved and 
 beautiful bride in the lower apartment of the Taj. 
 Their tombs are in perfect preservation, and are 
 inlaid in the same manner as the inside of the 
 Mausoleum itself. It has been built, I believe, 
 about three hundred and eighty years ; but from 
 the state it is in, no one would imagine it could 
 have been erected half the time. When I was 
 first amid these scenes of enchantment, I almost 
 expected to behold the vizier Grafar Mesrour, or 
 the great caliph himself, popping out upon me 
 from some of the mazy walks of the pleasure 
 grounds. 
 
 The natives have a great regard for the memory 
 of the " good Sultana Noormahal/' who they say 
 was as virtuous as she was beautiful. She gave 
 large sums away in charity, and when she died, 
 the people are said to have mourned as one man 
 

 WOLVES. 113 
 
 for the lovely being who ruled over them with so 
 gentle and benevolent a sway. It is touching to 
 behold the memorials of fallen greatness, and hear 
 the legends of the warlike people who have now 
 passed away, and are almost forgotten. Even 
 the great capital of the Mogul dynasty, in the 
 hands of foreign adventurers, whose far distant 
 island home is but a speck on the map compared 
 with the vast dominions which their swords have 
 won them in the East. 
 
 The whole face of the country, for many miles 
 around the city of Agra, is covered with ruins 
 and other vestiges of the powerful nation, which 
 formerly conquered and held such extensive sway 
 in India. Wolves are now the only inhabitants 
 of the deserted palaces of the once lordly Moguls. 
 They have taken up their abode in numbers 
 among the ruins, and frequently at night prowl 
 about the cantonment. Native children are often 
 carried away by these grim visitors. Several 
 instances of this kind occurred while we were 
 stationed at Agra. A reward of ten rupees 
 is given to any person who brings in a wolf's 
 head to the magistrate. Half of this bounty 
 is, I believe, paid by government on account 
 of the many depredations committed among the 
 juvenile population by these animals, and the 
 other half from a fund established by the 
 
114 CHILDREN FOR SALE. 
 
 voluntary contributions of benevolent indivi- 
 duals. 
 
 The year before we were at Agra there had been 
 a great famine throughout the North Western 
 Provinces. Thousands of the natives died of 
 starvation, and whole villages were depopulated. 
 Many of these poor wretches wandered about the 
 country, and, being unable to obtain food, offered 
 their children for sale to any person who would 
 buy them. The price they usually asked for a 
 boy or girl of about four years old was five or six 
 shillings. I have, however, known them to be 
 offered as low as two for a rupee.* Large sub- 
 scriptions were raised among the European resi- 
 dents of Upper India for the purpose of giving 
 food to the famished natives. Hundreds of chil- 
 dren whose parents had been starved were, by 
 these means, rescued from the same fate, and com- 
 fortably clothed and fed. There was a large depot 
 for these unfortunates at Agra. 
 
 When first we arrived at this station, every one 
 told us there was no shooting in the neigh- 
 bourhood. We found, however, on trial that 
 there was excellent sport to be had. Agra is, in 
 my opinion, one of the best stations in India. It 
 is extremely oppressive during the prevalence of 
 
 * One rupee, two shillings. 
 
ANTELOPES. 115 
 
 the hot winds, but less unhealthy than any other 
 station at which I have been. The cantonments 
 are extensive, there being barracks for one Euro- 
 pean regiment, and three Sepoy regiments, besides 
 artillery. Agra was also the seat of government 
 for the North Western Provinces. The deputy 
 governor, Mr. R , was universally liked by all 
 the residents, and, I believe, he was very much 
 regretted when he left the station, in consequence 
 of that situation being abolished. 
 
 Great numbers of antelopes are to be found in 
 the large raeidans about Agra. These beautiful 
 animals are, however, very shy and difficult of 
 access. The best plan that can be adopted to 
 approach them is by means of a stalking horse. 
 In this manner I was frequently successful in 
 getting within rifle shot. Their venison, however, 
 is not very good, being dry, and generally destitute 
 of fat. Among the ravines, which are very nume- 
 rous about the station, is found a most beautiful 
 small species of antelope, known by the name of 
 the ravine deer. It is most elegantly and delicately 
 formed, and differs in one respect from any other 
 species of deer I have ever shot, both sexes being 
 horned. The horns are small, smooth and sharp, 
 and perfectly black. The colour of the animal 
 itself is red, of nearly the same shade as the com- 
 mon antelope. They bound along over the broken 
 
116 SHOOTING AT AGRA. 
 
 ground at a great rate, and I used to think it 
 almost a pity to shoot such graceful-looking ani- 
 mals. Speaking of the numberless ravines about 
 Agra, a young cadet once observed, " he had never 
 seen such a ravenous country in his life." 
 
 If the sportsman from Agra go down the 
 river about ten miles, he will find on each side a 
 very dense grass jungle. The ravines about 
 there are all full of thick grass, in some places 
 fully twelve feet high, and if he beats up these, 
 he will assuredly have good sport at pigs, deer, 
 black and gray partridge, quails and hares. Up 
 the river there is also capital sport to be had, but 
 as it winds much, a great saving in distance is 
 obtained by proceeding to the best spots by land. 
 At Koila Ghaut, about six miles from Agra, I have 
 had good sport; and still better at Sameea Ghaut, 
 which is about three miles farther; at Ghow Ghaut, 
 about seventeen miles from cantonments, my friend 
 P and myself, killed nearly fifty brace of par- 
 tridges and quails in a day, besides a number of 
 hares. We rode out and home, and killed these 
 birds after the usual morning's parade, and this 
 was not till the ground had been thoroughly beaten 
 by four other parties who had preceded us. 
 
 Wild peacocks are very numerous about Agra. 
 I have killed as many as fifteen brace in a day, 
 besides other game. The chicks when about half 
 
SHOOTING AT AGRA. 117 
 
 grown are most delicious eating, much better, in 
 my opinion, than the floriken which is esteemed 
 the king of game in India. Though certainly a 
 delicious bird, its rarity, perhaps, is its greatest 
 recommendation. The bastard floriken or leek, 
 is sometimes found about Agra in the rainy season, 
 but not very frequently. The young pea-fowl 
 when rising out of the jungle six or seven together, 
 put me very much in mind of the pheasant shoot- 
 ing in preserves at home. The old pea-fowl are 
 generally very dry and tough, but they make 
 capital mulligatawney soup which, I think, is the 
 only thing they are fit for. There is no wild-fowl 
 shooting at Agra, an occasional shot may be had 
 at a goose or duck on the river, but nothing worth 
 naming. The lover of rifle shooting may amuse 
 himself by firing at the alligators, which are very 
 numerous in all parts of the Jumna. During the 
 day, numbers of these may be seen basking on the 
 sand-banks with which the river abounds. Some 
 of them are of great size. 
 
 The Mussulmans in India are very fond of 
 game, but they are prohibited by their religion 
 from eating the flesh of any animal that has been 
 killed otherwise than by having its throat cut in 
 a peculiar manner by themselves. I used to be 
 in the habit of giving the greater part of the game, 
 when I was out shooting, to the servants who ac- 
 
118 RAJAH OF BHURTPORE. 
 
 companied me, and was often greatly amused by 
 the eagerness with which they ran with a knife in 
 their hands to every bird or animal which I 
 knocked over. I frequently remarked, however, 
 that when the animal was actually dead from the 
 shot, they would still cut the throat, and vote, 
 nem. con. that it was alive when they performed 
 the operation. 
 
 The Rajah of Bhurtpore gave an entertainment 
 to the European residents of Agra, while we were 
 there. He had some large tents pitched near the 
 fort, handsomely carpeted, and hung with a most 
 singular collection of handsome glass lustres, gilt 
 chandeliers, tin candlesticks, valuable paintings, 
 and twopenny prints, mixed together in most 
 heterogeneous confusion. He evidently thought 
 them all very fine and well-matched. 
 
 We sat down in number about two hundred to 
 a dinner in the European style, which was really 
 exceedingly well got up, excepting that there was 
 the same mixture of the best and commonest 
 description of articles, as was exhibited in the 
 adornment of the tents. Some of the plates and 
 dishes were of the richest china, while others were 
 of the meanest blue crockery, and handsome 
 ivory mounted table cutlery was mixed up with 
 the vilest black-handled imitations of knives and 
 forks I ever saw. In the centre of the table was 
 
NAUTCH GIRLS. 119 
 
 an immense pie, to ascertain the contents of which 
 much curiosity prevailed. At last it was cut open 
 by some one near, when out flew about twenty 
 little birds which had been concealed under this 
 mountain of paste. The rajah seemed much 
 tickled at the surprise depicted in the counte- 
 nances of those around, and laughed till his fat 
 sides shook again. It was, however, no effort of 
 the obese potentate's own invention, hardly any 
 native entertainment ever taking place without 
 some dish of the kind. There was plenty of wine 
 of all sorts, champagne corks were flying in every 
 direction, and altogether the banquet was on the 
 most liberal scale. 
 
 After sitting about an hour after dinner, the 
 company were invited under a large canopy 
 which was erected outside, and under which seve- 
 ral troops of nautch girls were assembled. 
 
 These are generally in sets of three dancers, 
 accompanied by a man who plays on a sort of 
 fiddle, and another with the tom-tom. On com- 
 mencing the entertainment, the nautch girls form 
 themselves in a line, at some distance off", facing 
 the founder of the feast, the musicians standing 
 behind them. When the music commences, they 
 all begin to sing and scream out their songs 
 with a great deal more noise than melody. Keep- 
 ing up their caterwauling, they advance and retire 
 
1 20 FIREWORKS. 
 
 by a sort of shuffling step, twisting their hands 
 about so as to keep time with the music, and 
 sometimes covering their faces with their veils, 
 and ever and anon throwing them open again. I 
 believe the one who screams loudest is accounted 
 the best singer by the natives, who are passion- 
 ately fond of the nautch, while to Europeans it is 
 insufferably tiresome. When one set have gone 
 on in this way for about a quarter of an hour, 
 and screamed themselves out of breath, they are 
 relieved by fresh hands in better wind, who 
 again enact the same game with little variety of 
 entertainment. 
 
 The nautch girls are generally splendidly 
 dressed, in bright coloured satins, and gauzes, 
 and are profusely ornamented with gold and pre- 
 cious stones. Some of them have small golden 
 bells attached to their ancles and toes. 
 
 After about two hours of this nautching, the 
 company were informed that a variety of fireworks, 
 which had been prepared for their amusement, 
 were about to be let off. Most native entertain- 
 ments end in a display of this kind, and the 
 natives excel in pyrotechny. We all went into 
 the meidan to witness this exhibition which was 
 well worth seeing, although decidedly much in- 
 ferior to what I have seen when a boy at Vauxhall 
 Gardens. 
 
ICE ESTABLISHMENT. 121 
 
 " At Agra, there was an establishment for collect- 
 ing a stock of ice in the cold weather, sufficient 
 to last for the three hottest months succeeding 
 it. The means by which it was obtained were 
 rather singular. A number of square pits were 
 dug about three feet deep : these were nearly 
 filled with a thick layer of straw, and upon this 
 were placed a number of small flat earthern sau- 
 cers. Into each of these was poured a little 
 water every night, and in the morning, before 
 break of day, there was generally a thin sheet of 
 ice formed in each saucer. This was collected 
 by a number of coolies* employed for the purpose, 
 and placed in the ice-house, which was a pit 
 excavated to some depth below the surface with 
 a mud wall raised round the mouth, and thatched 
 over. 
 
 The coolies lived in villages adjoining, and were 
 assembled every morning by the beat of a large 
 drum at the ice-house. This infernal drum used 
 to wake me every day in the cold weather, 
 about two hours before the bugle was sounded for 
 morning parade ; and, much as I liked the ice, I 
 certainly often wished the drum somewhere else. 
 The expense of making the ice was defrayed 
 by a subscription, each contributor to which 
 
 * Native labourers. 
 
 O 
 
122 ICE ESTABLISHMENT. 
 
 sent his servant every night in the hot weather 
 for a certain quantity. This, when delivered, was 
 closely enveloped by the cooly in a couple of thick 
 blankets, and immediately on arriving at home 
 with his load, it was popped into a basket thickly 
 padded all over with wool and closely covered. 
 By this means the ice was prevented from melt- 
 ing for eight or nine hours, and any bottles of 
 water, beer, or wine shut up with it were delight- 
 fully cooled. 
 
 No one who has not been in the East can 
 imagine how great a luxury it is, in so hot a 
 climate, to be able to get a glass of cool water. 
 For six months in the year, it cannot be obtained 
 otherwise than in a tepid state, unless cooled by 
 artificial means. 
 
RUMOURS OF WAR. 123 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Rumours of war Departure from Agra Arrival at Mee- 
 rut March towards Afghanistan Women of the 44th 
 The Begum Sumroo Manufacture of shawls at Loodia- 
 nah Camels Cross the Sutledge The Punjab Loss 
 of baggage The irregular horse Forced, marches 
 The Seiks Crossing rivers Cheyt Sing Burial of the 
 dead, &c. 
 
 About this period we used to hear rumours, 
 from time to time, that things were not going on 
 in Affghanistan quite as well as could be wished. 
 At the latter end of 1841 accounts were received 
 that the inhabitants had risen en masse, and beat- 
 en our troops on more than one occasion. An 
 order suddenly arrived in January 1842 for the 
 regiment to proceed to Meerut, which was hailed 
 by every one as a prelude to a march upon Cabul. 
 On arrival at Meerut, however, we were ordered to 
 dismiss our baggage animals and go into barracks. 
 In a day or two^ one hundred men and three su- 
 balterns of the corps under the command of 
 
 G 2 
 
124 MARCH TO SAHARUNPORE. 
 
 Captain B were ordered to proceed forthwith 
 to the fort of Saharunpore as a guard over Dost 
 Mahomed, the ex- King of Cabul, who was con- 
 fined there. This was not likely to be a very plea- 
 sant duty, as the strictest vigilance was required, 
 and we were given to understand that one subal- 
 tern would always be on duty, day and night, to 
 keep an eye on the Dost's motions. 
 
 I was one of those named for this service ; and 
 four or five days after our arrival at Meerut, our 
 detachment proceeded on the march to Saharun- 
 pore. On the march I found that an assistant 
 surgeon of the Company's service, who had been 
 appointed to take the medical charge of the de- 
 tachment, was an old school-fellow. We agreed 
 that after we had reached our encampment, and 
 breakfasted, we would go out shooting, and have 
 a talk of old times, should we find no game. 
 Accordingly we did so, and had wandered five or 
 six miles from the camp when we were overtaken 
 by a messenger, who had been sent after us with 
 the intelligence that an express had arrived in 
 camp, 
 
 " Bloody with spurring, fiery red with haste," 
 
 bringing orders for us instantly to return, and that 
 the men were striking the tents, and getting ready 
 for the retrograde march, as quickly as possible. We 
 
ORDERS FOR SERVICE. 125 
 
 lost no time, of course, in retracing our steps, and 
 on our arrival in camp found the men just formed 
 in the road, waiting for the word to move forward. 
 Fifty voices together gave us the welcome intel- 
 ligence that we were required on immediate service, 
 and that Affghanistan was our destination. Orders 
 had arrived at Meerut for carriage to be collected 
 for the regiment with as little delay as possible. 
 The women and children, and those men who 
 were unfit for a long march, together with the 
 heavy baggage, were also directed to be left behind, 
 and the depot to be formed at Meerut. 
 
 The route gave us Kurnaul as our destination : 
 but we could form a very good idea, from the 
 fact that the women were to be left behind, that 
 we should not halt there. Such a bustle perhaps 
 was never seen at Meerut before. The officers had 
 just got settled in their bungalows when the orders 
 arrived, and at every turn we met men hurrying 
 about in search of pony trunks, as we understood 
 tatoos* or mules were the only carriage animals 
 to be depended upon in the rocky passes which 
 we should have to traverse. I cannot conceive 
 why we had been ordered, on first arriving at the 
 station, to dismiss the camels and hackeries which 
 had brought our baggage from Agra. About 
 
 * Poneys. 
 
126 MARCH INTO AFFGHANISTAN. 
 
 twenty days were wasted before sufficient carriage 
 could be again obtained to enable us to proceed. 
 This, too, was at a time when not a minute ought 
 to have been lost, accounts having been received 
 of the complete destruction of General Elphin- 
 stone's army, while it was further reported that 
 General Sale w T as hard pressed at Jellalabad by 
 Akbar Khan. 
 
 Our men were in the highest spirits, although 
 the lamentations of their spouses were loud enough. 
 We had heard of the appeal made by the widows 
 of the 44th to the regiments ordered to Affghan- 
 istan. They called on them to revenge their 
 slaughtered husbands, and every heart responded 
 to the call. 
 
 As soon as sufficient carriage was obtained for 
 the necessary baggage which was reduced as much 
 as possible, we proceeded on our march. When 
 we started from Meerut, instead of the usual tune 
 played on leaving a station, " The girl I left be- 
 hind me/ 5 the band struck up " The British grena- 
 diers" and three hearty cheers burst from the men 
 as soon as they recognized the national melody. 
 
 The first march was to Sirdhanha, at which place 
 is the palace of the late Begum Sumroo. This 
 extraordinary woman was originally, I believe, a 
 Nautch girl, and was married by a French advert 
 turer who had managed to carve out for himself a 
 
THE BEGUM SUMROO. 127 
 
 small independent sovereignty. She soon became 
 tired of her husband, for whom notwithstanding 
 she always affected great tenderness, and used ra- 
 ther singular means to remove him. She excited 
 the troops to get up a sham mutiny, and sur- 
 round the palace, clamouring for their arrears of 
 pay. Her husband, who doated upon her, was 
 induced by her apparent terror to order two 
 palanquins to a back door, that they might es- 
 cape from the infuriated soldiery. Before enter- 
 ing them, however, to quiet her apprehensions 
 he swore that, should she lose her life, he would 
 not survive her. By a preconcerted plan, his 
 palanquin was allowed to precede that con- 
 taining her to a considerable distance. Suddenly 
 some of her attendants who were in her con- 
 fidence overtook his palkee with loud lamenta- 
 tions, and showing a bloody handkerchief de- 
 clared that the Begum had been murdered by 
 the mutineers, and had sent him this token of 
 her affection before breathing her last. Sumroo 
 implicitly believed this story, and keeping his 
 word, shot himself on the spot. On hearing the 
 success of her stratagem, the Begum instantly 
 returned to the palace, and distributing large sums 
 of money to the troops wss by them hailed as 
 their future sovereign. 
 
 Many stories are told of the Begum's cruelty. 
 
128 THE BEGUM SUMROO. 
 
 One of her slave girls had by some means dis- 
 pleased her, when she ordered her to be buried 
 alive instantly, and in her presence. When the 
 living victim was immured in the grave, the 
 Begum commanded her hookah to be brought, 
 and smoked a chillum on the spot. Fearful even 
 then, that her diabolical intention might be ren- 
 dered abortive by some of her attendants not 
 quite so hardened as herself, she caused her bed to 
 be prepared, and absolutely slept upon the grave, 
 to prevent the possibility of the poor girl's being 
 rescued from her fearful end. 
 
 The Begum managed matters so well after her 
 accession to the throne as to be guaranteed in the 
 possession of it, during her life-time, by the English 
 government. She was exceedingly hospitable, and 
 used to entertain very handsomely any officers pay- 
 ing her a visit. She became a convert to the Roman 
 Catholic religion, and built and endowed a very 
 handsome chapel at Sirdhanha, after the design of 
 St. Peter's at Rome. When we encamped near 
 this place, I went to see this edifice, and met an 
 Italian priest, a very intelligent person, who 
 I imagine was the incumbent. He was very civil 
 and communicative; and among other things 
 shewed me where the remains of the Begum lay. 
 A plain stone denoted the spot; but the priest in- 
 formed me that a very elaborate tomb was being 
 
DESERTION OF SERVANTS. 129 
 
 executed at Rome, and would shortly be sent out 
 to mark her resting-place. 
 
 Our servants, who had been greatly alarmed at 
 the disasters which had occurred in Afghanistan, 
 even at this early period, put us to much inconve- 
 nience, by frequently deserting, and the strictest 
 watch became necessary on our camel-drivers, who 
 were equally alarmed, and sought every opportu- 
 nity to make their escape, being fearful that they 
 would be obliged to cross the Sutledge with us, 
 which they looked upon as certain death. We 
 arrived, however, at Kurnaul, without losing any 
 great number of them. At this place, we received 
 the route, directing us to proceed to Ferozepore 
 which is on the extreme boundary of the Com- 
 pany's dominions. This march occupied us 
 twenty days ; and, had it not been for the trouble 
 to which we were put by our unwilling attend- 
 ants, we should have had a very pleasant march. 
 The weather was not yet very hot, and there was 
 capital shooting to be had near almost every en- 
 camping ground. We passed through Loodianah, 
 where there is a large colony of Cashmerians, who 
 manufacture quantities of shawls at this place. 
 The prices they demand for them are enormous. I 
 was much pleased at witnessing the manufacture 
 of them, which is entirely by hand, and must 
 be extremely tedious. 
 
 G 3 
 
130 CAMELS. 
 
 On our arrival at Ferozepore, we found a num- 
 ber of camels awaiting us, which had been col- 
 lected by the commissariat officers for the trans- 
 port of our baggage. Not more than half the re- 
 quisite number, however, could be obtained, and 
 of these many were not able to make a single 
 march. We were obliged to pay the commissariat 
 officer the whole amount of the money for the 
 hire of those served out to us to Jellalabad, by 
 which means we were deprived of any hold on 
 their owners, who now had no reason to remain 
 with us longer than they could avoid. Instead of 
 every assistance being rendered us, going as we 
 were on an arduous campaign, and to prevent the 
 loss of our baggage by the desertion of these camel- 
 drivers, their roguery was in every way encouraged. 
 We had paid our money for the whole distance, 
 and of course they made their escape as soon 
 as they could. Numbers of officers lost all their 
 property, in addition to the extravagant sum 
 charged for hire by this absurd arrangement. 
 Had the owners of the camels not been paid, until 
 they had performed their part of the agreement, 
 there would not have been one tenth of the incon- 
 venience and loss which we afterwards experienced. 
 
 Having reduced our baggage as much as possi- 
 ble, to enable us to eke out the scanty supply 
 of camels we had received, on the 10th of March 
 
CROSSING THE SUTLEDGE. 131 
 
 we crossed the Sutledge, accompanied by the 6th 
 regiment of native infantry, some resallahs* of 
 Tait's irregular horse, and a company of foot 
 artillery, the whole under the command of Colonel 
 Bolton of H.M. 31st regiment. Ferozepore is 
 thirty-six marches from Peshawur, through the 
 Punjab, or the territory of the Seiks. The name 
 is derived from two Persian words ; punj, signify- 
 ing five, and ab a river. These five rivers lay in 
 our route ; they are the Sutledge, the Chenab, the 
 Ravee, the Jhelum, and the Attock, or Indus. 
 Numbers of the servants deserted us here, and 
 many officers were reduced to the necessity of 
 tending their own horses and baggage animals. I 
 had, however, been fortunate enough to retain all 
 mine, excepting my grass-cutters and bheesty.t I 
 was much inconvenienced for want of water by the 
 desertion of the latter worthy, as the native ser- 
 vants will on no account do any work that does not 
 strictly appertain to their own particular situa- 
 tions. The Sutledge is a muddy-looking river 
 with numerous sand-banks, and has nothing par- 
 ticularly remarkable in its appearance. We 
 crossed it by means of a bridge of boats, which 
 had been constructed for our accommodation by 
 the Seik government. 
 
 * Troops. 
 
 t Water-carrier. 
 
132 DESERTION OF CAMELS. 
 
 Shortly after arriving at our encampment, we 
 heard from some of the followers who came in 
 that an immense quantity of the baggage was still 
 lying on the ground at Ferozepore, in conse- 
 quence of the inability of a great number of 
 the wretched beasts of burden which had been 
 provided to rise with their loads. Some baggage, 
 therefore, even at this early period, had to be 
 destroyed. My camels came in late in the even- 
 ing in a very wretched state, and I was obliged to 
 throw a tent, and some other heavy articles, into 
 the Sutledge in order to lighten their loads for 
 the morrow. 
 
 The next morning we began to reap the fruits of 
 the wise arrangements to which we had been 
 obliged to succumb. About forty camels had 
 deserted during the night, and the baggage of 
 a large number of officers and privates was left on 
 the ground, when the force moved off with no 
 prospect of any means being obtained for its 
 removal. Our commanding officer, who did every 
 thing in his power to prevent the inconvenience 
 to which we were put by those who ought to 
 have known better, left a guard under an officer 
 to prevent these things from being plundered, and 
 to obtain some means of bringing them on. With 
 great difficulty they did bring them in that night, 
 after having been themselves the whole day with- 
 
IRREGULAR HORSE. 133 
 
 out food or refreshment of any kind. This, on 
 the first march from our own territory, was indeed 
 an augury of what we had to expect further on. 
 A guard was now ordered by Colonel Bolton to 
 accompany the camels on the march by compa- 
 nies, and on their arrival in camp, after discharg- 
 ing their loads, another guard of troopers from 
 the irregular horse was ordered to accompany 
 them when they went out to forage. These men 
 were strictly enjoined not to let them out of their 
 sight until they returned to camp, when they 
 where picketted within the line of sentries. In 
 spite of all these precautions, however, numbers 
 managed to make their escape every day, and, on 
 leaving each encamping ground, officers and men 
 might be seen setting fire to the necessaries 
 which they had no means of transporting fur- 
 ther. 
 
 The irregular horse who accompanied us were 
 the wildest and most romantic looking subjects I 
 ever beheld. They are principally the descendants 
 of Pathan gentlemen, who, though reduced in cir- 
 cumstances, would not take service in the Com- 
 pany's army as ordinary troopers. In the irregu- 
 lar corps, they receive a certain monthly pay, I be- 
 lieve 25 rupees, for which sum they find their own 
 horses, and arms, and consider themselves altoge- 
 ther different characters from the privates of the 
 
134 THE SEIKS. 
 
 Company's regular cavalry, as most undoubtedly 
 they are. When they like their leader, they will 
 fight admirably ; and we had many opportu- 
 nities of seeing those who were with us do their 
 duty in capital style. 
 
 On our arrival at the Ravee, we were overtaken 
 by Major Delafosses' troop of horse artillery, 
 which had been sent on by forced marches to join 
 us. This was another of the wise arrangements 
 made by the authorities. We had passed through 
 Loodianah where this very troop was stationed, 
 and they received no orders to join us; but when 
 we had nearly arrived at Ferozepore they were 
 ordered to make double inarches to overtake us. 
 They effected the junction with the horses com- 
 pletely jaded by such extraordinary exertions. No 
 wonder that when they arrived in A Afghanistan the 
 horses were not able to drag the guns. They had 
 been knocked up at the commencement by unne- 
 cessary toil, and it was not likely that they could 
 afterwards regain their condition with daily hard 
 work, and but little food. We experienced much 
 annoyance from the Seiks. These people were 
 most hostilely inclined towards us, although their 
 government was friendly. They are very fine 
 looking men, but great boasters; and I have no 
 doubt their cowardice, when brought to the trial, 
 is as great as their bragging when danger is distant. 
 
THE SEIKS. 135 
 
 I have mentioned already that our servants 
 were much alarmed by the accounts which they 
 had heard of the prowess of the Affghans, and 
 these Seiks made a point of frightening them 
 still more. They told them that we were sure to 
 be annihilated like the last force in Afghanistan, 
 and that even if by some miracle we should 
 escape, the Maharajah,* Shere Sing, had an army 
 ready, in addition to which the Seik population 
 intended to rise en masse, to cut off our retreat 
 through their country. They were determined, 
 they said, to exterminate the Feringeesjf and 
 our army was only now allowed to proceed in 
 order that it might be more effectually got into 
 the trap, with the Affghans in front and the Seiks 
 the in rear. 
 
 These Seiks plundered our baggage on every 
 opportunity. Our advanced guard one morning 
 came suddenly upon a number of them while 
 attempting to take some articles, belonging to the 
 force, from the natives under whose charge they 
 were, and had a skirmish with them. The irregular 
 horsemen charged the vagabonds at once, and draw- 
 ing their tulwars,! would have taken off a number 
 of their heads in a very short time had they not 
 
 * King of the Punjab, 
 f English. 
 \ Swords. 
 
136 CROSSING RIVERS. 
 
 been stopped by the native officer in command. The 
 robbers soon took to their heels, when they found 
 what sort of customers they had to deal with. 
 
 General Pollock was at this time at, or near, 
 Peshawur with a large force, and our commander 
 spared no pains to overtake him. We had terri- 
 bly hard work in crossing the rivers, none of which 
 were at this time fordable. All our camels, artil- 
 lery, and treasure tumbrils had to be transported 
 in boats. The whole force, however, worked day 
 and night to get them over with as little delay as 
 possible. To induce the unwieldly camels to 
 enter the boats was indeed no easy matter; but 
 our men had heard that the Jellalabad garrison 
 were reduced to the utmost straits, and they 
 worked like men who knew not what fatigue was. 
 The camel, I believe, is the only animal that can- 
 not swim. It is an extraordinary fact, that the 
 moment they lose their footing in a stream, 
 they turn over, and can make no efforts to prevent 
 themselves from being drowned. They have na- 
 turally a great antipathy to the water, which en- 
 hanced the difficulty with which we had to contend. 
 Many became so much alarmed after they were 
 in the boats that they jumped overboard and 
 were lost. 
 
 A Seik envoy accompanied our force on the 
 march. He had been sent by Shere Sing osten- 
 
CHEYT SING. 137 
 
 sibly to obtain for us any supplies we might 
 happen to want, but really, I believe, as a spy. 
 This worthy's name was Cheyt Sing, and a funny 
 fellow he was. In person he was short and 
 punchy, with a large good-natured looking face, 
 and a roguish leer in his eye. He was very civil 
 and obliging, and in consequence was asked to 
 dine with us at the mess. He c^me attended by 
 three strapping Seiks, as attendants, and although 
 he informed us his religion would not permit him 
 to eat with us, he would drink as much as we 
 liked. Accordingly, he seated himself at a little 
 distance from the table, and a bottle of port wine 
 was delivered to one of his attendants. When Cheyt 
 Sing was challenged to drink, another of his men 
 pulled out a little silver cup which he filled and 
 held to his master's lips. The old Seik was not 
 long in emptying the contents ; and, the moment 
 he had done so, the third attendant stepped for- 
 ward with a linen cloth and wiped his mouth 
 for him. The operation was repeated whenever 
 he drank. Every officer at mess made a point of 
 challenging him ; and, as he finished a bumper 
 every time, he soon got royally drunk. He then 
 began to be very facetious, and made many jokes 
 in his own language which nobody understood . 
 but himself, his utterance, having become rather 
 thick. However, they seemed to tickle his own 
 
138 BURIAL OF THE DEAD. 
 
 fancy, for he laughed immoderately, and was 
 eventually carried out by his attendants just as 
 he had volunteered a Seik song, but of which, 
 it appeared, he had forgotten both the tune and 
 words. He dined with us several times afterwards, 
 and said we were capital fellows ; and condoled 
 with us on our misfortune in not having been born 
 Seiks. 
 
 Some of the inhabitants of the Punjab have an 
 extraordinary custom of burying their dead with 
 the head downwards in a small deep pit. The 
 reason they give for it is this : they believe the 
 world is flat, and that on the last day it will be 
 turned topsy-turvy. The gates of Heaven they 
 imagine will only be open for a short time, and it 
 will be first come first served with the future in- 
 habitants of the mansions of bliss. By bury- 
 ing their dead with the head downwards now, 
 they will be standing on their feet when the 
 world turns over, and thus according to their 
 argument, they will of course be enabled to get 
 into Heaven long before those, who being buried 
 in the usual manner, will lose so much time in 
 getting up from their recumbent position. 
 
 The Punjab, from the Sutledge to the Jhelum, 
 is a most fertile and valuable district. I never 
 in any other country saw such abundant crops of 
 corn, and that the inhabitants are well off, there 
 

 THE PUNJAB. 139 
 
 can be no doubt. None of that squalid misery- 
 was to be seen here which is so often witnessed 
 among the native population in the Company's 
 dominions. Even the common women employed 
 in laborious work or herding cattle wore bangles,* 
 and other jewels of pure gold and of great weight. 
 In the Company's territory, the same class would 
 decorate themselves with ornaments of pewter or 
 brass. There is doubtless a great deal of money 
 in the possession of the Seiks, and a campaign in 
 their country would be a much more profitable 
 concern than wasting so much blood and treasure 
 as we have done in possessing ourselves of barren 
 rocks and mountains. In Affghanistan, we gave 
 rupees for stones ; and our policy in ever going 
 to such a place, renders us the ridicule of every 
 native power in the East. No nation but Eng- 
 land would take such a country as Affghanistan 
 at a gift. The whole of its yearly revenue is 
 about thirty thousand pounds, and our expenses 
 there were nearly three millions. 
 
 It was said that it was necessary to take it, in 
 order to prevent the Russians from invading our 
 territories on that side. I do not see how we 
 have furthered that object by converting a people 
 who were inclined to be friendly towards us into 
 
 * Bracelets. 
 
140 RUSSIAN INVASION. 
 
 bitter enemies. Besides Russia never could send 
 a power by that route. Supposing that the 
 many hostile tribes inhabiting the passes and 
 snow-capped hills, which they would have to 
 traverse, could be purchased over by them, they 
 could not obtain food for a large army, the 
 country barely producing enough for its own 
 population, and a small one would be useless. 
 We could take possession of the Kyber pass at 
 any time; and even granting that the Russians 
 accomplished impossibilities, and traversed hun- 
 dreds of miles of dreary wastes without food for 
 themselves or forage for their cattle, they would 
 ouly have proceeded so far to meet with certain 
 destruction in the Kyber pass. Five thousand 
 British troops, with a few guns, would defend 
 that pass against an army as numerous as that 
 of the Persian Xerxes ; and the greater the num- 
 ber of the invaders, the more signal would be 
 their destruction. Again, between the Indus and 
 Jhelum is a succession of most formidable 
 passes, which being held by British troops would 
 be impregnable. 
 
 It must be a large army indeed of Russians to 
 induce the British to take to the passes at all. Any- 
 thing like a moderate force they would meet and 
 overthrow in the plain at Peshawur, giving them 
 every facility to arrive there for the purpose ; and 
 
THE JHELUM. 141 
 
 an army on a large scale, as I said before, would 
 be defeated by its own numbers, the country 
 being unable to furnish supplies to feed them. 
 
 We arrived at the Jhelum without the occur- 
 rence of any particular event. Here we were 
 quite on classic ground, this being the river 
 which Alexander the Great crossed previously to 
 his night attack on the camp of Darius, who was 
 encamped on the left bank. The ford by which 
 he crossed is situated some distance above the 
 town of Jhelum. At the season of the year at 
 which we arrived, the stream is rendered very 
 deep and rapid by the melting of the snow on the 
 neighbouring mountains, and we were obliged to 
 take everything across in boats. We had been 
 delayed a great deal on our march by the wretched 
 bullocks which dragged the treasure tumbrils and 
 other stores ; and Colonel Bolton, who was most 
 anxious to be able to join General Pollock, before 
 he should attempt the passage of the Kyber pass, 
 at the mouth of which he lay encamped, deter- 
 mined to leave behind those clogs on our mo- 
 tions, to follow us in charge of an escort of some 
 companies of the 6th native infantry, while we 
 pushed on, by forced marches, in order to effect 
 the junction as soon as possible. 
 
 From the Jhelum, the whole face of the coun- 
 try wore a changed appearance. Instead of fertile, 
 
142 A MARCH OVER THE HILLS. 
 
 well-cultivated fields, we now entered upon a 
 barren, rugged succession of hills, which gave us 
 a faint idea of what we should hereafter meet with 
 in Affghanistan. Colonel Bolton discovered that 
 a short cut of about twelve miles might be made 
 by a path over the hills which would save us 
 another day's march. The camels and baggage 
 made a double march by the regular road, round 
 the base of the hills, while the force proceeded by 
 the mountain path. We had a regular climbing 
 match ; and our commander narrowly escaped 
 losing his valuable Arab charger, which his syce 
 was leading, it not being possible to ride. The 
 animal once lost his footing, and was all but over 
 the cliff. He struggled nobly to recover himself, 
 and with the assistance of the man was fortunately 
 successful. 
 
 The next two marches were through a strong 
 pass, which would have been a teazer had it been 
 defended by an enemy. On one of these marches, 
 one of our officers seeing some wild ducks on a 
 jheel, went round to get a shot. After he had 
 fired, he was accosted by a Seik in a very insolent 
 manner, who asked him how he dared to shoot 
 the Maharajah's ducks; and, on an altercation 
 ensuing, the fellow drew his tulwar* in a threaten- 
 
 * Native sword. 
 
TAMEEAK. 143 
 
 mg manner on P , who had no other alternative 
 than to present his gun at him. Some of the 
 soldiers, however, saw what was going on, and 
 running up, gave the fellow a tremendous thrash- 
 ing. He was fain to ask pardon for his insolence 
 before they let him go. 
 
 On arriving at Tameeak, despatches were 
 received from General Pollock, who intended 
 attempting the Kyber pass at once, ordering us 
 to halt where we were, until the treasure and 
 baggage which we had left behind at the Jhelum 
 could come up with us. Accordingly, we were 
 obliged to halt for four days at this place, where 
 we were encamped on the side of a hill. There 
 were some villages in the vicinity inhabited by a 
 very fine race of people. Few men came into our 
 camp who were under six feet in stature. They 
 were very insolent, and more than once richly 
 earned thrashings which they got from our men. 
 One of our grenadiers, who was wandering about 
 near the camp, observed a very clear stream of 
 water, and being thirsty, went to drink some of the 
 inviting liquid. A Seik who was near, seeing his 
 intention, spat into the stream above him, and 
 laughed in a scornful manner, evidently intending 
 to insult him. The grenadier, however, soon made 
 him change his tone, by knocking him down on 
 the spot. The fellow screamed out, and above a 
 
144 MARCH TOWARDS PESHAWUR. 
 
 dozen other men hearing him cry, rushed from an 
 adjacent village with latees,* and attacked the 
 soldier; but, being an athletic and determined 
 fellow, he quickly knocked another down with 
 his fist, and seizing his weapon, very shortly sent 
 the others to the right about. Some of them had 
 their heads badly broken, and came into camp to 
 complain, but they had so richly deserved what 
 they got, by the provocation which they gave, 
 that no notice was taken of their complaint. 
 
 The country all the way from the Jhelum to 
 Peshawur, is of the most barren description, and 
 for military purposes excessively strong. Our 
 road lay through passes formed by mountain 
 streams, the bed of which, in many places, com- 
 posed the only road ; and the cliffs on either side 
 are generally very precipitous. Over head hung 
 large masses of rock, which seem to totter on the 
 heights, from the edges of which they were sus- 
 pended. By rolling down these masses of stone, 
 the road itself might be easily blocked up, and 
 they would furnish a formidable means of defence 
 against an invading army. To crown the heights 
 from below, would be excessively difficult. They 
 are exceedingly steep, and generally do not lie in 
 
 * A long thick stick or club, generally of solid bamboo, 
 and very heavy. 
 
THE MARCH. 145 
 
 continuous ridges, so that the ascents and descents 
 for an attacking party would be interminable. 
 The passes here are certainly nothing to the 
 Koord Kabul, Jugdulluck, and some others ; but 
 before we had seen those frightful places they 
 appeared very formidable, as no doubt they would 
 be, if properly guarded. The others, if defended 
 by Europeans with artillery, would be impregnable 
 to any force under the sun. 
 
 The whole of this country formerly belonged to 
 Affghanistan, and was conquered by the Seiks, 
 who however were never able to penetrate a yard 
 into the Kyber pass. They built a fort at 
 Jumrood to secure their possessions from the 
 incursions of the AfFghans, who often sallied 
 from that natural boundary of their kingdom, 
 and gave the Seiks occasionally a great deal of 
 trouble. 
 
 Our camel drivers still daily deserted when 
 they went out, under the pretence of seeking for 
 forage which was becoming extremely scarce, 
 and it was impossible for the guards at all times 
 to prevent their stealing away among the hills. 
 To remedy this inconvenience as much as possible, 
 the officers were obliged to buy food for their 
 camels and not to allow them to go out to forage 
 at all. This was forced upon them by the ridicu- 
 lous arrangement to which I have already alluded. 
 
 H 
 
146 DESERTION OF CAMELS. 
 
 When camels are hired in India, the owner 
 has to feed them. In this instance, the owners said 
 they were perfectly ready to do so, and would 
 take them out to forage every day. The officers 
 having now found out, by experience, that under 
 that pretence they would run away with them, 
 were obliged, rather than lose their baggage ani- 
 mals, to pay the extra expense of purchasing 
 forage out of their own purses. 
 
 But, in spite of all our arrangements, they 
 managed to make their escape, especially from the 
 soldiers, who were not able to afford to buy 
 forage, which was sold at an extravagant price. 
 When about six marches from Peshawur, on 
 turning out of my tent one morning to join the 
 column, I found my camels were gone. They had 
 been allowed to go out with the guard the preceding 
 day, as the owner informed me that they were be- 
 coming ill by not being suffered to go to forage, 
 in consequence of the food I was able to purchase 
 for them not being so fresh as that which they could 
 pick up themselves among the bushes on the hills. 
 He assured me that he had no object in running 
 away, as his home was in Peshawur, to which 
 city he was going, and, pulling out a Koran from 
 his bosom, he swore most solemnly and called 
 upon the Holy Prophet to witness his oath, that 
 he would not attempt to run away with his camels. 
 
DESERTION OF CAMELS. 147 
 
 I was still unwilling to trust the man ; but my 
 servants persuaded me to do so, as the camels 
 were not looking well. The fellow managed 
 to slip away from the guard that day, and I 
 was placed in a very pleasant situation when I 
 got up next morning with all my baggage on the 
 ground, no prospect of any means of carriage 
 being obtainable, and the force just ready to 
 move off. 
 
 I went at once to the commanding officer, who 
 was always most considerate on these occasions. 
 He immediately gave me leave to remain behind 
 the troops, to see if I could not obtain some means 
 of transport for my camp equipage and property. 
 There were many in the same situation as myself, 
 and I had just resigned all hope, and was about to 
 give orders to set my tent and other things on 
 fire, when I fell in with our quarter- master, who 
 most kindly lent me two camels to take them on. 
 I believe they were the only two spare camels in 
 the whole force, and most fortunate did I esteem 
 myself in being able to get them, it not being by 
 any means a very pleasant prospect to begin a 
 campaign without a tent or any clothes to my 
 back, beyond what I stood in. A loss of the 
 kind could not be replaced now we were so far 
 from the Company's dominions. 
 When about three marches from the Indus, 
 
 H 2 
 
148 AN ANCIENT TOMB. 
 
 we were encamped near a very curious ancient 
 building. It was in the shape of an enormous 
 bee-hive, and the natives of that part of the 
 country informed us that it was built by Alexander 
 the Great, as a mausoleum over his war horse 
 Bucephalus, which had died there. One of our 
 subs, young P , had himself let down by a rope 
 from an aperture in the top of the building, and 
 discovered below a marble slab on which was 
 engraved a Greek inscription. He could not, 
 however, decipher more than one word, which 
 was, " linros"* Many Greek and other coins 
 were found here at different times, some of which 
 I obtained, and have now in my possession. The 
 natives of an adjoining village brought numbers 
 into the camp for sale. 
 
 We crossed the Indus by means of a bridge 
 of boats, constructed for our use by order of the 
 Maharajah, Shere Sing. The river was at this 
 time very high, and the current extremely rapid, 
 which made it a matter of great difficulty to pre- 
 vent the bridge from being carried away. The 
 Seiks have a strong fort on the left bank of the 
 river, which, being placed on the summit of an 
 eminence, would completely command the passage 
 of the river at any time. There are numberless 
 
 * A horse. 
 
THE INDUS. 149 
 
 rocks in this part of the river which would render 
 the navigation of it with boats extremely difficult 
 and dangerous. We were much amused at seeing 
 many of the natives floating down the stream on 
 mussucks.* 
 
 They make long journeys in this way,resting their 
 bodies on the inflated skin, and guiding themselves 
 with their legs, which hang over into the water. 
 In this manner they are able to avoid the danger 
 of being dashed against the sharp rocks by the 
 torrent ; and seem to be carried down at about 
 the rate of eight miles an hour. 
 
 The next day's march was through a very narrow 
 and difficult pass, called the Geedur Gullee,t 
 which name signifying that it is only a proper road 
 for a jackall, expresses forcibly the opinion that 
 the natives have of its difficult character. 
 
 We heard about this time that General Pollock 
 had advanced, and been successful in forcing 
 the Kyber pass ; that he had proceeded on to 
 Jellalabad in order to relieve General Sale, and 
 that we were to follow him thither. The Kyberees 
 had fought well, but the gallant 9th were not to 
 be beaten back ; they ascended the hills and drove 
 the fellows off like chaff before the wind, in which 
 
 * The inflated hide of an animal, generally a calf, 
 f Jackall'8 lane. 
 
150 THE KYBEREES. 
 
 they were ably seconded by the 26'th native in- 
 fantry and some others. Hundreds of Kyberees 
 had been mowed down by the shrapnel shot from 
 the artillery, and altogether they had sustained a 
 severe defeat. 
 
PESHAWUR. 
 
 151 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Arrival at Peshawur General Avitabili Entertainments 
 Nautch girls Hurree Singh The Kyber pass Ali 
 Musjid Scarcity of water Heroism of a Sepoy Bri- 
 gadier Monteath Skirmish with Kyberees Jellalabad. 
 
 We arrived at Peshawur on the 21st of April 
 where it was necessary to halt for a few days in 
 order to obtain some baggage animals to replace 
 those which we had lost, and to make arrangements 
 for the sick to be left behind. Our baggage was 
 reduced to the smallest compass possible, in 
 order that we might be impeded as little as n eed 
 be in the narrow defiles through which we should 
 have to fight our way. 
 
 Peshawur is a fine fortified city, and when we 
 were there, was governed by an Italian general in 
 the service of the Maharajah Shere Sing. His name 
 
152 PESHAWUR. 
 
 was Avitabili, and he seemed just the sort of per- 
 son to keep the turbulent and lawless population 
 of Peshawur in order. At every corner of the city 
 was erected a large treble gibbet, each of which 
 had seventeen or eighteen malefactors hanging on 
 it, as a gentle hint to the inhabitants to be on their 
 best behaviour. I believe there was very little 
 ceremony made with them. If a man looked 
 sulky, he was strung up at once, in case he should 
 be disaffected. Murder and robbery took place 
 every day in the streets of the city, until the 
 General used such energetic measures. Even 
 when we were there it was not safe to leave the 
 camp without being well armed. From all I 
 heard, I imagine that Peshawur contains the most 
 villanous population in India, and their governor, 
 whose office it is to keep them in order, has no 
 sinecure. 
 
 General Avitabili has a fine palace, and he kept 
 open house to all the officers of the British Army. 
 He gave splendid dinners, with abundance of 
 wines and liqueurs of the finest quality, which 
 were relished no little by us after the fatigues 
 and privations we had undergone in the Punjab. 
 After dinner, there were always twenty or thirty sets 
 
BATTLE OF NOWSHERA. 153 
 
 of Nautch girls in attendance, who danced pretty- 
 nearly the whole night. The old General seemed 
 delighted with his guests, and did everything in 
 his power to amuse them. I believe that all the 
 expenses of the entertainments- were defrayed by 
 the Maharajah ; but he could not have had a better 
 deputy than we found in the jolly old General. 
 
 Many bloody battles have been fought near 
 Peshawur between the Seiks and the Affghans : 
 one in particular, at Nowshera, in which, after a 
 long and doubtful conflict, the former were victo- 
 rious, but with the loss of their gallant general, 
 Hurree Singh. This brave leader had both his 
 legs shattered by a cannon shot while the issue 
 of the combat was yet uncertain. He refused 
 to leave the field, and, being unable to sit on a 
 horse, had himself placed on the back of an ele- 
 phant from which he still continued to encourage 
 his troops, and died just as their shouts of vic- 
 tory proclaimed that the day was won. The 
 King was much affected when he heard of his 
 death, and vowed he would rather have lost half 
 his kingdom than his general. " The one," he said, 
 " I might with his assistance have re-conquered, 
 but I can never have another Hurree Singh." 
 
 H 3 
 
154 JUMROOD. 
 
 I was fortunate enough to be able at this place 
 to purchase two Cabul camels. These animals, al- 
 though small, were far superior to those from 
 Hindostan which accompanied us. Being born 
 and bred in Affghanistan, they carried their loads 
 without difficulty in narrow paths and over 
 dizzy heights where the Hindostanee camels were 
 continually losing their footing, and rolling down 
 into the abysses below. It was another of their 
 good qualities that they would not touch the fox- 
 glove (digitalis) which abounds in some parts of 
 Affghanistan, and which the camels from Hindos- 
 tan eat with the greatest avidity. This plant is a 
 deadly poison to the camel, and we lost hundreds 
 from its baneful effects. 
 
 After halting about five days at Peshawur, we 
 proceeded a double march to Jumrood, which is 
 about a mile from the mouth of the Kyber pass. 
 This place was the most desolate looking spot I 
 ever beheld. It was a large stony plain without a 
 particle of vegetation of any kind, and bounded 
 on all sides by bleak rugged hills which seemed 
 to frown upon us in defiance. The pass itself is 
 a very formidable looking place, and the day was 
 spent by the soldiers in getting their arms well 
 
THE KYBER PASS. 155 
 
 cleaned, and fresh flinted, in readiness for the 
 morrow, as it was expected we should be hotly 
 opposed. Our force was very small to attempt a 
 defile so long* and so strongly fortified by nature ; 
 but the excellent arrangements made by Colonel 
 Bolton would I doubt not have been successful 
 had we been opposed by the whole force of the 
 Kyberees. 
 
 At the mouth of the pass are two small hills. 
 On each of these was placed a nine-pounder in 
 order to sweep the sides of the mountains which 
 command the entrance to the pass. The Grena- 
 diers No 1, and the light companies of H.M. 
 31st Regiment, and three companies of the 6th 
 native infantry formed the advanced guard under 
 the command of the late lamented and talented 
 Major Skinner of H.M. 31st. No. 1 ; and the 
 light company of the 31st were thrown out as 
 skirmishers along the heights on either side, fol- 
 lowed by two companies of the 6th N.I. as sup- 
 ports. The hills were very high, and difficult 
 of ascent; but by the persevering efforts of our 
 gallant fellows they were effectually crowned in 
 
 * The Kyber pass is thirty five miles in length. 
 
156 THE KYBER PASS. 
 
 less time than could have been expected. The 
 Grenadiers and a company of the 6th remained 
 in the pass itself in order to clear the road and 
 force any barricade which might be erected with- 
 in the gorge. 
 
 The horse artillery followed, covered by Nos. 2 
 and 7 companies of H.M. 31st Regiment under the 
 commanding officer, in person, and were succeeded 
 by the baggage guarded by a part of the irregular 
 horse ; the remainder of the force constituted the 
 rear-guard under the command of Colonel Eck- 
 ford of the 6th N. I. 
 
 When we arrived at the entrance of the gorge, 
 day was just breaking, but within the pass itself, 
 from the shadow of the beetling precipices which 
 overhung the narrow road, it was as dark as a 
 wolf's mouth. To our astonishment we were not 
 opposed, and we proceeded steadily and cautiously 
 along the pass. The sepoys on the heights 
 seemed in good spirits, and we could hear their 
 shouts of " Ram, ram, Mahadeo,"* faintly echoed 
 along the winding gorge from the vast heights 
 above us. When broad day appeared we had a 
 
 * A salutation to the God Mahadeo. 
 
THE KYBER PASS. 157 
 
 good view of the formidable defence which nature 
 has created in this rocky inlet to the Affghan 
 territory. The belt of mountains, a cleft through 
 which is the pass, forms a complete natural bul- 
 wark against aggression on every side. We saw 
 many mementos of Colonel Wild's disastrous 
 attempt at forcing the pass. Dead camels and 
 horses, broken and defaced military accoutrements, 
 and human bones, lay scattered about in every 
 direction. 
 
 After we had proceeded about three miles into 
 the pass, the road was more open in some places ; 
 but again it became confined and difficult. We 
 were a good deal delayed at times by the guns stick- 
 ing fast among the large masses of stone, which 
 choked the narrow path ; but we at last arrived at 
 Ali Musjid without accident or opposition. Ali 
 Musjid is about eight miles within the pass, and is 
 the first day's march. It is rather a severe one, 
 the difficulty of the road making up for the short- 
 ness of the distance. The Musjid or Mahome- 
 dan temple, from which the place takes its name, is 
 situated in the pass itself. On the peak of a high 
 conical mountain, which rises suddenly here, is 
 situated a fortress built of stone, which has been 
 
158 ALI MUSJID. 
 
 the scene of many a bloody encounter. The 
 fastness itself is, from its situation, excessively 
 strong ; but it has the fault of many mountain 
 strongholds : there is no water within the walls. 
 A stream runs in the pass at the foot of the 
 height ; but the descent and ascent are both long 
 and difficult, and on more occasions than one, 
 when a slender garrison has been shut up here, 
 they have not been able to get water, unless by 
 stealth, and at night, to attempt which was ren- 
 dered extremely perilous from the strict watch kept 
 by the besieging Kyberees, and the deadly pre- 
 cision of their jezails.* A Mr. Mackeson, who was 
 employed in surveying the pass for the British 
 government, possessed himself of this fort by 
 a coup-de-main, and with a few Affghans in British 
 pay held it for a long time against the constant 
 attacks of the Kyberees. The gallant Macke- 
 son and his little garrison were reduced to great 
 straits for the want of water, over which the 
 besiegers kept the most vigilant watch, and they 
 would inevitably have been obliged to surrender 
 had not Mackeson's fertile imagination suggested 
 
 * Long rifle. 
 
ALI MUSJID. 159 
 
 to him a plan, by which to obtain supplies from 
 their savage enemies. The Kyberees and, indeed 
 the A Afghans in general, are remarkably tenacious 
 about the possession of the bodies of their com- 
 rades who fall in battle. Whenever Mackeson 
 repulsed an attack on his fort, he sallied out and 
 secured the corpses of the assailants who had fallen. 
 He used then to beat a parley, and sell the Kybe- 
 rees their own dead at the rate of two mussucks* 
 of water for each body. In this manner, he suc- 
 ceeded in supplying his little garrison until their 
 food also failed them, when one night he quietly 
 stole out of the fort, and succeeded in escaping 
 with his men unperceived through the enemy, 
 and arrived in safety at Peshawur. He was not a 
 military officer \ but in consequence of his gal- 
 lantry displayed on this and other occasions, he 
 was appointed to command the bildarsf, in which 
 capacity he afterwards accompanied us to Cabul. 
 Previously to Colonel Wild's unsuccessful at- 
 tempt at forcing the Kyber pass, Colonel Mosely 
 was sent forward with two native regiments to pos- 
 
 * Leather bags for holding water, each formed of an en- 
 tire goat-skin. 
 
 t Native pioneers. 
 
160 ALI MUSJ1D. 
 
 sess himself of this fort. The gallant Colonel made 
 a sudden night march, and succeeded in his part of 
 the enterprise without loss. When Colonel Wild 
 however attempted to follow with the main body 
 on a succeeding day, he was beaten back with a 
 heavy list of killed and wounded with the loss 
 also of his guns and great part of his stores 
 and baggage. Colonel Mosely was now com- 
 pletely in a trap, for the Kyberees assembled 
 in thousands to prevent his return, and he could 
 receive no assistance from his defeated supe- 
 rior. Retreat however was inevitable, and to be 
 effected at all hazards as the two days' provisions 
 which his troops had been ordered to take with 
 them were exhausted, and they were starving. Of 
 this the Kyberees were aware, and they watched 
 him closely. The retreat was commenced under 
 a murderous fire from the deadly jezails of the 
 Afredis,* who swarmed on every height command- 
 ing the pass. The loss was of course disastrous ; 
 but eventually the force effected its junction with 
 the main body at Jumrood. 
 
 It was during this retreat that an instance of 
 
 * Name of a formidable and savage tribe which inhabit 
 these mountains. 
 
HEROISM OF A SEPOY. 161 
 
 heroism was exhibited by a sepoy of the 64th 
 regiment, which shows with what devotion the 
 native soldier will follow a leader, whom he looks 
 up to and loves, even to death. Shortly after 
 leaving Ali Musjid, a young officer of the 64th 
 regiment received a severe wound from a jezail 
 ball which completely disabled him. He was 
 accordingly placed in a dooly* in the rear of the 
 regiment. By some means or other, in the confu- 
 sion which reigned around, he was entirely sepa- 
 rated from the troops, and the dooly bearers 
 becoming frightened put him down on the ground 
 and ran away. Unable to move, he was thus left 
 to the mercy of their savage enemies, two of whom 
 quickly discovered him, and, knife in hand, com- 
 menced descending the hill at the foot of which 
 he lay. When they were within a short distance 
 of the officer, he fortunately saw a sepoy passing 
 by to whom he called. The moment this gallant 
 fellow heard his voice and saw the danger of his 
 officer, he rushed to the spot, and confronting the 
 two Afredis, shot one, and bayonetted the other 
 within a yard of their intended victim. He then 
 turned to his superior, and expressed his regret 
 * A litter in which sick and wounded men are carried. 
 
162 HEROISM OF A SEPOY. 
 
 that he could not carry him out of the pass. " But, 
 Sahib/' said he, " although I cannot save you, I 
 will stop with you; I have fourteen or fifteen 
 cartridges left, and while these last, and I can use 
 my bayonet, I will sell our lives as dearly as I can, 
 and when I can fight no more we will die toge- 
 ther." Saying this, he re-loaded his musket and 
 sat down on a stone beside the officer. 
 
 Fortunately the officer's kitmutgar who had 
 seen the state in which his master was left, fell in 
 with his regiment. No sooner had the sepoys 
 heard his account, than eight or ten of his own 
 company stepped out of the ranks, and retracing 
 their steps found him with his faithful guard. 
 They then made a sort of rude litter with their 
 firelocks and carried him in safety to the camp, 
 which was eight miles distant. The gallant sepoy 
 who so nobly saved him was immediately pro- 
 moted to the rank of havildar;* and his conduct 
 on this occasion will, it is to be hoped, be the 
 means of obtaining for him still further promotion. 
 
 We had heard that we were to be joined at this 
 place by a force sent to meet us from Jellalabad, 
 under the command of our future brigadier. We 
 * Sergeant. 
 
BRIGADIER MONTEATH. 163 
 
 were appointed to the 4th brigade, under Colonel 
 Monteath of the 35th native infantry. This officer's 
 coolness in the hour of danger, and masterly ma- 
 nagement of the troops in action, soon gained the 
 confidence of all ranks, while his urbanity and cour- 
 teous demeanour to every individual won their 
 hearts. He was beloved by the whole brigade. I 
 hope he will live long to enjoy the reputation he 
 has gained ; and I am sure the sentiment will be 
 re-echoed by every soldier who has served under 
 him. 
 
 Brigadier Monteath had arrived, and was en- 
 camped within four miles of us, although we were 
 not aware of his being so until the following day. 
 Immediately on passing Ali Musjid, we arrived at 
 a very narrow tungee or defile, about half a mile 
 in length, with perpendicular cliffs on each side. 
 It took us nearly the whole of the day to get our 
 guns through this cleft; indeed, we were inclined to 
 wonder, on looking back upon it, how we ever got 
 through at all. It is fortunate that the summits 
 of the cliffs which overhang this defile can be 
 swept by the guns from the fort of Ali Musjid ; 
 for if only rocks were thrown down by the de- 
 fenders posted on the top of them, every indi- 
 
164 LAL BEG GHURREE. 
 
 vidual below must be crushed, and the road being 
 stopped up in front and rear by the same method, 
 it would be impossible to advance or to retreat. I 
 was on the rear guard when we went through, 
 and was jammed here for about six hours by the 
 press of baggage-animals which could only effect 
 a passage by single file. T often looked up at the 
 threatening heights above us, and felt how utterly 
 helpless we were. Six men from above could 
 have annihilated the whole of us. Of course we 
 should not have attempted such a place without 
 previously taking possession of the heights, had 
 they not been commanded by the fort which was 
 garrisoned by our troops. 
 
 We effected our junction that day, and encamp- 
 ed at Lai beg Ghurree, about twelve miles from 
 AH Musjid. The pass became wider during the 
 last eight miles of this march, and, although still 
 very formidable, it was not so strong as the preced- 
 ing part. We saw a great number of Kyberees 
 congregated on the hills in the distance watch- 
 ing our motions, but they did not attempt to 
 oppose us. Our brigadier had with him two 
 companies of H.M. 13th regiment, a number 
 of the 33rd N. L, and Backhouse's mountain train 
 
THE MOUNTAIN TRAIN. 165 
 
 of artillery. These funny little guns, which are 
 three-pounders, seemed almost like playthings. 
 When about to be used, they are taken out of the 
 carriage and each is put upon a mule. The car- 
 riage goes on another, and the wheels are con- 
 veyed by a third. It is astonishing what steep 
 and craggy hills the sure-footed mules, thus 
 burthened, will climb up. When arrived at the 
 desired position, the carriages are put together, 
 and the guns both mounted and fired in an in- 
 credibly short time. 
 
 We found about the valleys near Lai beg Ghur- 
 ree numberless fields of standing corn which 
 were a great prize, our cattle having had no forage 
 for two days. No sooner had we arrived in camp 
 than every servant and camp follower went off to 
 the corn. Elephants, camels, tattoos,* and 
 donkeys, were quickly loaded with the welcome 
 grain, until they tottered under their loads ; and 
 for the two days that we were here they lived 
 in clover. The camp followers, who had been on 
 nearly as short commons as the cattle, had also 
 fine feasting. They roasted the ears of half-ripe 
 corn, and eat, and drank, and made merry. On 
 
 * Poneys. 
 
166 LALPOORA. 
 
 the second day, however, the wells failed us, and 
 we were obliged for want of water to change our 
 quarters. The Kyberees had amused themselves 
 by firing at the followers, who plundered their 
 corn ; but I believe few of them were hurt. 
 
 The next day we marched to Lundi Khanah. 
 The pass during this march is really frightful, 
 and I think it the worst part of the Kyber. The 
 heights are terrific ; but, as they generally lie in 
 continuous ridges along the pass, when they are 
 ome ascended the road along the summit is com- 
 paratively easy. There is a great scarcity of 
 water at this place, and no forage for the cattle. 
 But the next day we proceeded to Lalpoora, and 
 to our satisfaction bade adieu to the Kyber 
 pass, having effected our passage without opposi- 
 tion, but suffering in many places very severe 
 fatigue. At Lalpoora, we found forage for our 
 cattle : and, as we were encamped on the bank of 
 the Cabul river, there was no scarcity of water. 
 
 During the day, a rumour reached the camp 
 that some Kyberees had carried off a number of 
 the camels which were grazing on the hills. 
 Some companies of native infantry were sent 
 out to try and recover them, and a number of 
 
A SKIRMISH. 167 
 
 officers went out also. Pender and Tritton, of the 
 31st and myself, thought that we, too, might as 
 well go and see the fun. Accordingly, we mounted 
 our horses, and galloped away to the foot of the 
 mountains. Not knowing which way the sepoys 
 had gone, our only guide was the firing heard 
 over the first range of hills. We determined, 
 therefore, to leave our horses below, and, taking 
 our double-barrelled guns, to cut across the hills 
 in the direction of the reports, and try if we could 
 not get a shot. 
 
 On the way we fell in with some sepoys and 
 an old subadar* who joined us. I very narrowly 
 escaped shooting a sepoy on this occasion ; and, 
 had it not been for the old native officer, most 
 assuredly I should have done so. I was crossing 
 over the summit of a hill, close under which the 
 firing was pretty sharp, when I observed a fellow, 
 whom I took to be a Kyberee, pointing his gun 
 over a rock on the next hill at something below. 
 I immediately presented my Manton, and was 
 just pulling the trigger on him, when the subadar 
 put his hand on my shoulder and exclaimed, 
 " Sahib, sepahi hi." A sepoy it was, sure enough, 
 * Native commissioned officer. 
 
168 A SKIRMISH. 
 
 who had come from camp in his native dress, 
 which made me take him for a Kyberee. 
 
 The camels were eventually recovered, and five 
 Kyberees shot. They were very large and power- 
 ful-looking men, and one of them made a des- 
 perate resistance. He got a ball in the leg, 
 which stopped his running; and he then threw 
 down his jezail, and drawing his long knife stood 
 at bay. The first sepoy who came up to the spot 
 he rushed at, making a desperate stab at him. 
 Fortunately he missed his aim, the blade of the 
 long knife passing under the Hindoo's arm. The 
 blow, however, knocked the sepoy down, but he 
 immediately jumped on his legs, and seemingly 
 forgetting he had his musket in his hands, picked 
 up a large stone and hurled it at the Kyberee, 
 who was in his turn tumbled over by the blow. 
 Jack Sepoy now seemed to recover his recollec- 
 tion, and stuck his bayonet immediately into 
 the Affghan's body. To make sure work, I 
 suppose, he fired his musket into him also. The 
 muzzle being close to the man's body, the dis- 
 charge blew a hole through him large enough to 
 admit a man's arm, and set fire to his clothes. 
 
 The slain were soon decapitated, and the sepoys 
 
KYBEREES. 169 
 
 carried their heads into camp in triumph stuck 
 on the points of their bayonets. Among the 
 Kyberees who fell was one woman who I believe 
 was killed by accident. But she was fighting 
 in company with the others, and a bag of bullets, 
 I heard, was taken from her person. I asked 
 a sepoy who was near, how it was that they killed 
 women. 
 
 " Sahib \" said he, " she must have been killed 
 by mistake ; but, as for males, I have lost twelve 
 brethren in this cursed pass, and I would bayonet 
 a Kyberee of a month old at his mother's breast." 
 
 Such a feeling among the soldiers was not to 
 be wondered at. The Kyberees had mutilated 
 and cut up those who had fallen into their hands 
 in a most inhuman manner ; and, although their 
 cruelty in torturing their victims was avoided 
 by the British troops, it was not likely that their 
 lives would ever be spared when the tables were 
 turned upon them. Throughout the war, how- 
 ever, mercy and protection were extended to the 
 females by all. 
 
 The Nawaub of Lalpoora, by name Torabaz 
 Khan, was always friendly to the British, and did 
 them every service in his power. By his exertions 
 
 i 
 
170 THE CHOOTA KYBER. 
 
 the lives of Captain Ferris of the Jezailchees,* 
 with his lady and sister were saved when the 
 inhabitants of Pesh Bolak and Goulai rose upon 
 his small force. The Jezailchees behaved splen- 
 didly, and succeeded in fighting their way to 
 Lalpoora, from whence Torabaz Khan got them 
 by a mountain pass over the Kyberee hills to 
 Peshawur. 
 
 On leaving Lalpoora, we had to go through 
 another pass which is called the Choota Kyber,f 
 the passage of which we effected without opposi- 
 tion. Lalpoora is about eight days' march from 
 Jellalabad, through a desolate, barren, country, 
 and large stony plains, bounded by ranges of 
 huge black mountains in the distance. We were 
 much surprised that any race of people could be 
 found to inhabit such a horrid country; but it is 
 a singular circumstance, that the more barren and 
 miserable a country may appear to others, so 
 much the more is the amor patriae strongly 
 cherished in the bosoms of its inhabitants. 
 
 On arriving near Jellalabad we were met by 
 
 * Affghan riflemen in the British pay. 
 + Little Kyber. 
 
JELLALABAD. 171 
 
 numbers of the men of the 9th and 13th regiments 
 who came out to see us march in. We could not 
 help contrasting the clean and well-fed appearance 
 of the late beleaguered garrison with the travel- 
 soiled, half-starved looks of our own men. The 
 officers of the 13th gave us a splendid breakfast 
 on our arrival, and to which, it may be imagined, 
 we did ample justice. 
 
 Jellalabad is one of the most miserable-lookins: 
 places I ever beheld. It is situated in a large 
 sandy plain, in which at that time there were not 
 the slightest signs of vegetation. I believe that 
 naturally the valley is very fertile, but having been 
 so long the seat of war it had not been cultivated, 
 and the cattle of Akbar's besieging army had eaten 
 up every green thing, as effectually as if a flight 
 of locusts had been domiciled there. The town 
 itself is surrounded by a mud wall to which a 
 parapet had been added by General Sale, and a 
 ditch dug round the whole. These improvements, 
 with the addition of some alterations at the 
 posterns, and some small outworks, had materially 
 strengthened the strong-hold. No means of de- 
 fence, which could possibly be rendered available, 
 had been neglected. All along the walls were 
 
 I 2 
 
172 JELLALABAD. 
 
 piled heaps of large stones which had been col- 
 lected and placed there, so that in case of an 
 assault, the camp followers might, by hurling 
 these missiles down on the heads of the assailants, 
 be of material service in opposing their attack. 
 A number of old Affghan pieces of brass artillery, 
 which had been found when General Sale took 
 possession of the place, were furbished up, and, 
 being mounted on rude carriages, were so placed 
 as to enfilade the ditch. One brass gun, the great 
 Cazee as it was called, was mounted in a con- 
 spicuous situation on one of the bastions. This 
 gun was about an eighteen pounder, and was very 
 handsomely ornamented with various designs of 
 fish, and most ungodly looking reptiles. There 
 were also in the fort, I think, six nine pounders, 
 belonging to Captain Abbotts company of artillery 
 which had been furnished with Affghan horses. 
 It was astonishing what difficult places these guns 
 would go over without assistance from our men. 
 It was by far the most efficient battery in Affgha- 
 nistan. 
 
 The whole of General Pollock's army was now 
 concentrated at Jellalabad. The cavalry consisted 
 of H.M. 3rd light dragoons, the 1st and 10th 
 
JELLALABAD. ] 73 
 
 Company's light cavalry, and Tait's irregular horse. 
 The infantry were H.M. 9th, 13th, and 31st regi- 
 ments ; the 6th, 26th, 33rd, 36th, 38th, 53rd, 60th 
 and 64th regiments of native infantry and Dela- 
 fosse's, Alexanders, and Abbot's horse artillery, one 
 company of foot ditto, and Backhouse's mountain 
 train. There were also Ferris's Jezailchees, Broad- 
 foot's sappers, and Mackeson's bildars. I do not 
 know the exact numbers of the force, but I suppose 
 there were about ten thousand fighting men, and 
 fifty thousand camp followers. 
 
 We arrived at Jellalabad and effected our 
 junction on the 6th of May, and naturally looked 
 forward to speedily continuing our march on 
 Cabul. Great, however, was the disappointment 
 among the officers, and loud the murmurings 
 among the men, when at first days and then weeks 
 passed away while we remained inactive. As the 
 season advanced, the heat became . intense ; so 
 much so, that it was impossible to live in our 
 tents on the surface. 
 
 We were obliged to dig caves under ground 
 to shelter ourselves, in some degree, from the 
 burning heat. The camels and baggage animals 
 were dying in numbers daily, and the stench of 
 
174 JELLALABAD. 
 
 their dead bodies and of the filth of the immense 
 camp was insupportable. Millions of flies were 
 bred in the masses of corruption that lay on every 
 side. The very air was black with them, and 
 such torments they became, that it was almost 
 impossible to get a moment's rest. Provisions 
 were bad and scarce ; and the price we had to pay 
 for corn to keep our baggage animals alive, was 
 enormous. Sickness began to rage among the 
 men, who bitterly complained that they were 
 brought there to die like cowards in that pest 
 house, instead of being at once led against the 
 enemy. Why this delay took place I could never 
 make out : but, as we were subordinates, we had 
 only to obey orders, and that without asking ques- 
 tions. 
 
 Sand- storms prevailed frequently in this abomi- 
 nable valley. For four and five days successively 
 would they blow in our direction, and during this 
 time we could scarcely see a yard for the clouds of 
 sand which filled our eyes, our food, and in fact 
 everything. It was, of course, impossible to keep 
 it out of our tents, and, when we rose in the morn- 
 ing, our beds used to be covered an inch thick. 
 To vary our delights, about twice a week we had 
 
MURDER OF A SOLDIER. 175 
 
 earthquakes, during which, the roofs of many of 
 our subterranean dwellings fell in. An officer of 
 the 3rd dragoons lost his life by an accident of 
 this kind. 
 
 One night a man of No. 4 company of the 3 1st 
 regiment was murdered by some Affghans who 
 must have been prowling close to the camp. He 
 was unarmed, and had just passed one of the 
 sentries, when the latter heard a blow and a groan 
 and instantly gave the alarm. It was a very 
 dark night and the guard which turned out im- 
 mediately were some time before they could dis- 
 cover anything. At last, however, they perceived 
 the body of the unfortunate soldier lying in a 
 ditch, not twenty yards from the sentry. He had 
 evidently been attacked suddenly from behind, 
 and his death must have been instantaneous. He 
 had received a blow on the left shoulder from one 
 of the heavy knives of the Affghans, which had 
 nearly cut him down to the right hip. His back- 
 bone and ribs were completely severed by this 
 single blow. He had in addition many cuts, I 
 think eighteen in all, about the head, legs and 
 arms. So quickly and quietly had it been done, 
 that the nearest sentry had only heard the blows, 
 
176 A PRECOCIOUS SAVAGE. 
 
 and one faint groan. He heard no footsteps or 
 scuffling, and was therefore unable to form a guess 
 as to how many of the savage wretches had at- 
 tacked the poor fellow ; but there must have been 
 several to give him so many wounds in so short a 
 time. 
 
 There is a ferocity about the Affghans which 
 they seem to imbibe with their mother's milk. 
 One of the officers of the 9th regiment related to 
 me an occurrence which took place during the 
 action when they forced the Kyber pass. In 
 storming one of the heights, a colour sergeant was 
 killed, and from some cause or other his body was 
 left where it fell. A soldier of the same corps 
 happening to pass by the spot some time after, 
 saw a Kyberee boy apparently about six years of 
 age with a large knife, which his puny arm had 
 scarcely sufficient strength to wield, engaged in an 
 attempt to hack off the head of the dead sergeant. 
 The young urchin was so completely absorbed in 
 his savage task, that he heeded not the near ap- 
 proach of the soldier, who coolly took him up on 
 his bayonet, and threw him over the cliff. 
 
 Various rumours and reports were at this time 
 constantly floating about the camp. One day it 
 
FILTHY CAMP. 177 
 
 was said that we were immediately to proceed to 
 Cabul; on the next, perhaps, some story would 
 gain credit that we were to return without striking 
 a blow, and that the prisoners were to be obtained 
 by negociation. Supplies of every kind had be- 
 come very scarce ; and a merchant who had ven- 
 tured up with a small quantity of wines and liquors, 
 sold them by auction at an extravagant rate. 
 Wine, brandy and beer, fetched twenty shillings a 
 bottle, sugar six shillings, and tea, thirty-two 
 shillings a pound. The Jellalabad garrison had 
 tasted nothing of this kind for upwards of a year. 
 There was scarcely a bottle of wine or liquor in 
 any mess in camp ; while the water of the Cabul 
 river which ran near was of the most deleterious 
 quality. It was no wonder that the hospitals 
 became crowded and numbers died of dysentery, 
 brought on by drinking this polluted water, com- 
 bined with the effects of bad food and tainted 
 air. The stench of the camp was, indeed, enough 
 to breed a pestilence, and much we rejoiced when 
 the 4th brigade received orders to proceed to Pesh 
 Bolak, and bring the Shinwarrees and some other 
 hostile tribes to an account for their behaviour on 
 divers occasions. 
 
 i 3 
 
178 PESH BOLAK. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 March to Pesh Bolak Destruction of forts Death of two 
 officers Their graves outraged The Shinwarrees Battle 
 of Mazeena Heroic conduct of four soldiers of H.M. 31st 
 regiment Return to Jellalabad Sickness in camp 
 March towards Cabul Remains of the 44th Forcing 
 the Jugdulluck pass Dead bodies in the pass Narrow 
 escapes Kuttasung A take in for the Affghans A 
 forced march Arrival at Tezeen. 
 
 Pesh Bolak is situated three marches from 
 Jellalabad. We marched on the 17th of June, 
 and arrived at Goulai on the 20th. Goulai is 
 situated about three miles from Pesh Bolak. The 
 people of that place were very penitent for their 
 misconduct, and I believe gave a sum of money 
 to be let off. The tribes about Goulai, however, 
 had all absconded, leaving numberless forts and 
 villages at our mercy. These we pulled down and 
 
GOULAI. 179 
 
 utterly destroyed. Their wells, by means of which, 
 they irrigated the land, were blown up with 
 gunpowder and rendered useless. These people 
 lived, in a great measure, on dried mulberries, as 
 the land would not produce sufficient corn for 
 their consumption. There were beautiful topes* 
 of mulberry trees around the forts. Every morn- 
 ing and evening two companies from each regiment 
 were sent out to cut them down. 
 
 We found out that by cutting rings through 
 the bark into the heart of the tree, it was as effec- 
 tually destroyed as if cut down ; and it was a 
 more expeditious plan as well as lighter work. 
 It was, therefore, adopted after the first few days. 
 We became quite adepts in the work of destruc- 
 tion, and a greater scene of devastation was per- 
 haps never beheld. The Goulai people had, how- 
 ever, richly deserved it all. They behaved most 
 treacherously and infamously to Captain Ferris and 
 also to General Sale, and could, therefore, expect 
 no better treatment when the game was again in 
 our hands. 
 
 From Goulai we made short marches in various 
 directions, levying contributions and destroying 
 
 * Woods. 
 
180 DEATH OF OFFICERS. 
 
 the strongholds of those tribes who were refractory, 
 while those who had behaved well, were rewarded 
 and protected. We found plenty of forage for 
 our cattle, and corn was to be had for the taking, 
 so that in comparison to Jellalabad we were well 
 off ; and, as we continually shifted our encamping 
 ground, we did not experience the same horrible 
 stench and continual torment from the flies. Our 
 cattle recovered their condition quickly. . They 
 had scarcely been able to stand under their loads 
 when we left Jellalabad, but in the course of a 
 fortnight they became quite fat. The heat, how- 
 ever, was dreadfully oppressive ; many men sank 
 under it, and the effects of the pestiferous air 
 of Jellalabad. One of our captains and one of 
 the 33rd, N. I., died the same day, and were 
 interred at a place called Katee. We buried them 
 inside their tents, and picketed horses over their 
 graves, in order that the Affghans might not be 
 able to find out where the ground had been 
 opened after we had gone, it being their constant 
 custom to outrage the graves of their enemies. 
 But in spite of our exertions to cover over the spots, 
 we heard afterwards that they had discovered the 
 graves, and having disinterred their ghastly ten- 
 
SICKNESS IN CAMP. 181 
 
 ants, had hung them up on two trees. The yellow 
 jaundice became excessively prevalent among the 
 troops, and I was unlucky enough to have a severe 
 attack of it. I think this disease is one of the 
 most disagreeable maladies a man can have. A 
 continual nausea prevails, and it is weakening 
 beyond description. It was a long time after I 
 was convalescent before I recovered my strength. 
 Having punished all the refractory tribes except 
 the Shinwarrees, who were always very hostile to 
 us, we proceeded to Mazeena, which is about eight 
 miles from their strongholds. This horde inhabited 
 a very strong part of the country, and is one of 
 the most independent and warlike tribes in Aff- 
 ghanistan. They had generally refused to pay 
 tribute to their own sovereigns, and had sent 
 several very insolent messages to us. General 
 Monteath determined to see if he could not bring 
 them to reason, and accordingly, the day after we 
 arrived at Mazeena, a strong party of about five 
 hundred men was sent out to reconnoitre their 
 position under the command of Captain Willes of 
 H.M. 31st regiment. They had not left the camp 
 above a couple of hours, before the constant 
 rattling of volleys of musketry announced to us in 
 
182 THE SHINWARREES. 
 
 camp that they had been attacked, and were hard 
 at it with the Shinwarrees. The reconnoitring party 
 returned to camp towards the afternoon, when we 
 heard they had had a very sharp skirmish, which 
 had ended in the discomfiture of the Shinwarrees, 
 but not without a heavy loss of casualties on our side. 
 
 They had effectually reconnoitred the Shin- 
 warree valley, which was very narrow, with heights 
 on either side, and strengthened by a long chain 
 of forts. The hills were also covered with sungahs,* 
 and altogether the enemy had a judiciously chosen, 
 and very formidable, place of retreat. 
 
 Our brigadier now determined to attack them 
 with the whole force of the brigade and make an 
 example of them. Accordingly, the next day the 
 force left the camp for the purpose, composed of 
 H.M. 31st regiment, the 33rd and 53rd native 
 infantry, part of the 1st light cavalry, Captain 
 Abbot's troop of artillery and Captain Ferris's 
 Jezailchees. The camp was reduced to as com- 
 pact a size as possible, and two companies from 
 each regiment with some cavalry were left to defend, 
 
 * Breastworks built of large stones, derived from the 
 Persian word, Sung, a stone. 
 
BATTLE OF MAZEENA. 
 
 183 
 
 in case the Shinwarrees should make an attempt 
 upon it. All the classies* and bildars were pro- 
 vided with fire brands to burn the forts and 
 villages, as soon as the enemy were dislodged from 
 them by the troops. The Shinwarrees turned 
 out manfully to oppose them, and a desperate 
 conflict ensued. f 
 
 Our brave soldiers, however, were not to 
 be refused. They drove the Affghans from rock 
 to rock, and from hill to hill, with great slaugh- 
 ter, until they were completely beaten out of 
 their valley, and took to the mountains. The 
 whole of their forts, habitations and stores, were 
 set fire to and destroyed. It was a complete 
 victory, and the sepoys fought admirably. They 
 were very fond of the men of the 31st, and were 
 excited with a noble emulation of the gallant 
 Europeans. The Jezailchees, as usual, distin- 
 guished themselves; and Captain Ferris, their 
 commander, had two horses shot under him. 
 Captain Abbot mowed down scores of the 
 Shinwarrees with his shrapnel shells, which were 
 
 * Tent pitchers. 
 
 f I was not personally engaged in this action, being at 
 the time ill with the yellow jaundice. 
 
184 piper's hill. 
 
 thrown with the unerring aim for which that 
 officer was always celebrated. A shot which he 
 made, while besieged in Jellalabad with General 
 Sale, is one of the most extraordinary on record. 
 About four hundred yards from the walls of 
 the fort was a small hill, from which the Affghans 
 used frequently to annoy the men on the walls of 
 the fort with their long jezails. One day a party 
 of them were making merry on the top of this 
 eminence. In the midst of them was a piper ; 
 and they were amusing themselves by singing 
 and dancing round him, and making gestures of 
 derision to the garrison. Captain Abbot deter- 
 mined to try and spoil their sport, and accordingly 
 had a mortar carefully loaded, with which, when 
 he had taken his aim, he let fly. Whiz went the 
 shell high into the air, and then descending, it 
 struck the piper in the centre of the group upon 
 the head, when it burst, and knocked over about 
 twenty of the dancers. It is needless to add, that 
 the Affghans never repeated their efforts on the 
 light fantastic toe at that place again, which is 
 called " Piper's hill" to this day. 
 
 Our loss in this day's fight was considerable ; 
 and the 31st Regiment had to lament the death 
 
HEROIC CONDUCT. 185 
 
 of as brave a young officer as ever belted on a 
 sword. He was shot through the heart in a 
 most gallant attempt to take a sungah on the top 
 of a hill at the point of the bayonet. Only five 
 men were with him, and the sungah was defended 
 by at least fifty AfFghans. One of his men was 
 severely w T ounded at the same moment. When 
 poor Mcllveen received the ball, he sat down on 
 a stone and said to the four unwounded soldiers 
 who remained : 
 
 <( They are too strong for you now, men. They 
 will come at you directly ; you had better retreat. 
 Do not encumber yourselves with my body ; but 
 take my sword, I should like that to be sent to 
 my mother. I feel very weak.'' 
 
 With these words, he fell back and expired. 
 The Affghans seeing the effect of their fire, 
 rushed down with frightful yells, brandishing 
 their knives, to cut up the bodies according to 
 their invariable custom. But the four brave 
 31st men determined to die rather than leave 
 their officer's body to be mutilated ; and, forming 
 in line before him, they let the enemy come 
 within ten yards of them, when, by a well- 
 directed fire, they killed four and wounded some 
 
186 THE SHINWARREES HUMBLED. 
 
 others. The enemy, not expecting such a warm 
 reception, were panic-struck, and ran back to 
 their breast-work, when the brave fellows re- 
 treated, bearing with them the body of young 
 Mcllveen and their wounded comrade. The 
 soldiers even brought home a door from one of 
 the destroyed forts, and from the wood manufac- 
 tured a coffin for their officer, so universally was 
 the right feeling towards their superiors diffused 
 among the men of the 31st. 
 
 Poor Mcllveen fell in his first fight; but he 
 died like a soldier, and was deeply regretted by 
 every individual in the corps. 
 
 The Shinwarrees, in addition to the destruction 
 of their strongholds and habitations, had ex- 
 perienced a very heavy loss in killed and wounded. 
 Their chief, Sekunder Khan, was at this time 
 absent in attendance on Akbar Khan, at Cabul , 
 but his whole family had fallen in these two 
 actions. The tribe was effectually humbled ; and 
 they sent deputies into our camp the succeeding 
 day to beg for mercy, and offering to send in 
 hostages to Jellalabad for their good behaviour. 
 Crest-fallen as they were, Brigadier Monteath 
 granted their petition; and orders having been 
 
RETURN TO JELLALABAD. 187 
 
 received from General Pollock, to recall us to 
 Jellalabad, from which place we had been absent 
 six weeks while proceeding with our work 
 of destruction, we commenced our retrograde 
 march, and arrived at Jellalabad on the 3rd of 
 August, much to the disgust of us all. We 
 had smelt the camp for some miles before we 
 arrived at it, and found sickness raging both 
 among the men and the beasts of burthen. They 
 were dying by hundreds ; and we had no sooner 
 taken possession of the holes in which we had 
 burrowed previously to our little expedition, than 
 our hospital again became crowded. I was still 
 suffering from the effects of the severe malady 
 with which I had been afflicted. In fact, it was 
 impossible to regain health in the abominable 
 pestilential camp at Jellalabad. All our men 
 looked liked ghosts ; and hundreds of brave fel- 
 lows met their deaths ignobly here, whose 
 hope it had been, when their last hour should 
 come, to die like soldiers in the presence of an 
 enemy. 
 
 To add to the miseries which I was suffering 
 at this period, I received a packet of letters from 
 England, acquainting me with the death of a be- 
 
188 JELLALABAD. 
 
 loved and most amiable sister, whose end, 
 although for some time expected, I mourned 
 most deeply and sincerely. A far severer trial, 
 however, awaited me. Another letter came, and in 
 it the intelligence that my kind and most indulgent 
 father had been also taken away. He had died 
 suddenly, two months after my poor sister and 
 in the possession of the most vigorous health up 
 to the moment of his decease. He was the best 
 of parents : his sole thought was the happiness of 
 his children, for whose welfare no sacrifice was 
 too great. I had buoyed myself up through all 
 the trials and perils which I had undergone, with 
 the anticipation of delighting his fond heart with 
 the recital of my adventures. The blessing 
 which accompanied his farewell when I left home 
 seven years before, still sounded in my ears ; and 
 the news of his unexpected demise came upon me 
 with withering effect. I had never thought of 
 his death ; and that he should be laid in his last 
 home, while I, thousands of miles away, could 
 not even look on his cold remains was too much 
 to bear. I was seized with a fever, which pro- 
 bably would have laid me up for some time ; but 
 fortunately, just at this time, the welcome intelli- 
 
MARCH TOWARDS CABUL. 189 
 
 gence arrived, that we were at last to break up 
 the camp, where so many months had been wasted 
 n inactivity, and proceed at once to rescue the 
 prisoners in the hands of Akbar Khan, and to 
 destroy Cabul, as a punishment for the treachery 
 of the Affghans. I used my utmost efforts to 
 shake off my illness, at the thought of at last 
 meeting the enemy, and revenging our fellow 
 comrades who had been so barbarously cut up 
 in the snow. 
 
 I was still weak when we marched from Jellala- 
 bad on the 23rd of August ; but, during a week's 
 halt at Futtiabad, made for the purpose of col- 
 lecting provisions, I quite recovered my health 
 and spirits. At this place, Captain Marshall, 
 another excellent officer of the 31st regiment, 
 sank under the exposure and privations which he 
 had undergone during the campaign. By his 
 death a company became vacant, of which, to 
 my delight, I was appointed by the commanding- 
 officer to take charge and command. It was the 
 company in which I had first begun my career as 
 a soldier, and therefore the command of it in 
 action was doubly acceptable. 
 
 From Futtiabad it was decided that the army 
 
190 GUNDAMUCK. 
 
 should proceed in two divisions. The second, 
 under the command of General McCaskill, was 
 very small in proportion to that commanded by 
 General Pollock in person. 
 
 From Futtiabad we proceeded to Gundamuck, 
 when the road again began to be very difficult, 
 and was commanded by heights on every side. An 
 entrenched camp was formed here, in which were 
 left some native troops in order to keep the road 
 partially open in our rear. A body of about four 
 thousand Seiks, who had followed us to Jellala- 
 bad, were also left behind, with the exception 
 of about five hundred who were to go on with us 
 to Cabul, and who were appointed to join the 2nd 
 division. Gundamuck was the last place at which 
 we could hope to obtain forage of any kind for 
 our cattle, the next eight marches being through a 
 succession of most formidable passes, and over 
 mountains on which not a blade of vegetation of 
 any kind could be found : all was barren rock. 
 
 It was necessary to carry every ounce of food for 
 eight days' consumption, for our baggage animals 
 and the camp followers and sepoys were in the 
 same predicament. It may be readily conceived 
 what a train of baggage we had to protect, although 
 
THE MARCH. 191 
 
 every thing was reduced as much as possible. 
 Eight days 5 food for sixty thousand men, and for 
 about fourteen thousand baggage animals, besides 
 that for the horses of the cavalry and artillery, 
 must be carried, or the army would be starved on 
 the road. When it is considered that, in many 
 places one camel only could go at a time, the diffi- 
 culty and delay in getting through these marches 
 may be imagined. For hours and hours sometimes 
 would the baggage animals be jammed together in 
 some of the narrow gorges without progressing an 
 inch on the way. A march here of ten miles, gener- 
 ally took us twelve or fourteen hours, and the 
 rear guard was frequently near twenty-four hours 
 in performing the distance. 
 
 The first division, which comprised four fifths 
 of the whole strength of the army, marched from 
 Gundamuck on the 6th of September. The 
 second followed on the 7th ; and in consequence 
 of its numerical inferiority was subjected con- 
 tinually to the furious attacks of the savage tribes 
 who defended the road, while the other, for 
 the most part, from its formidable appearance 
 overawed them. 
 
 Near Gundamuck, on the right of the road, is 
 
192 REMAINS OF THE 44TH. 
 
 the hill on which the remains of the unfortunate 
 44th made their last stand. The sepoys, who 
 composed the principal force of General Elphin- 
 stone's army, had nearly all sunk under the hard- 
 ships which they experienced, or were killed by the 
 enemy long before arriving at this place. The 
 wreck of the army, which consisted of about one 
 hundred and seventy men, principally Europeans, 
 being unable to proceed further, determined to 
 come to bay here and sell their lives as dearly as 
 they could. They had, I heard, but two car- 
 tridges among them, and with these two of the 
 advancing enemy were sent to their last account. 
 The others poured upon the exhausted and worn- 
 out soldiers by thousands; and, after a bloody con- 
 flict, the enormous numerical superiority of the 
 AfFghans gave them the victory. Every one of 
 this gallant remnant of the army was killed, ex- 
 cept Captain Souter, and a drummer of the 44th. 
 The gallant Captain Souter preserved his life by 
 having saved the colours of his regiment. He had 
 them wrapped round his body, and an Affghan 
 chief taking him from his extraordinary trappings 
 to be a person of great distinction, ordered his life 
 to be spared, thinking probably to get hereafter a 
 
REMAINS OF THE 44TH. 193 
 
 good ransom for his prisoner. On unwrapping 
 the colours from his body afterward s, Captain 
 Souter found they had twice saved him from 
 deaths two bullets having been lodged in the folds 
 of the silk. 
 
 When opposite the hill, the column was im- 
 peded for some time, the guns having stuck fast ; 
 and, while the men were getting them to rights 
 again, I ascended the eminence to see the remains 
 of the gallant fellows who had fallen there. The 
 hill was very steep, covered with large masses of 
 stone, and difficult of ascent. Had they pos- 
 sessed ammunition, they might have made a stand 
 for some time on it. The top of the hill was 
 thickly strewed with the bodies of the slain. 
 Some were mere skeletons, while others were in 
 better preservation. Their hair was still on their 
 heads, and their features were perfect, although 
 discoloured. Their eyes had evidently been picked 
 out by the birds of prey, which, wheeling in endless 
 gyrations above my head, seemed to consider me 
 an intruder on their domain. On turning the 
 corner of a large rock, where five or six bodies 
 were lying in a heap together, a vulture which had 
 been banquetting on them hopped carelessly away 
 
194 SOORKAB. 
 
 to a little distance, lazily flapping his huge wings, 
 but too indolent to fly. He was evidently gorged 
 with his horrid meal ; and, as the foul bird gazed 
 listlessly at me, I almost fancied him the genius 
 of destruction gloating over his prey. I turned 
 from the sickening sight with a sad heart, but a 
 stern determination to lend my best efforts 
 towards paying the Affghans the debt of revenge 
 we owed them. 
 
 We got to Soorkab, the first march from Gun- 
 damuck, at about three o'clock in the afternoon. 
 The road in many places was extremely difficult, 
 but we were not opposed. When we arrived at 
 Soorkab, the rear guard of the first division had 
 not moved from the encamping ground ; we 
 could see their enormous lines of baggage animals 
 stuck fast in the narrow winding mountain path, 
 which is the only road. The officers of the rear- 
 guard informed us that the train of baggage had 
 not moved for eight hours. About a couple of 
 hours after we arrived in camp they began to 
 stir, and wound slowly from our sight. We saw 
 many Affghans on the heights which towered 
 thousands of feet above our heads, but they 
 molested us no further than firing occasionally 
 at our piquets during the night. 
 
THE JUGDULLUCK PASS. 195 
 
 The next morning, shortly after day-break, the 
 division moved off towards Jugdulluck. This was 
 one of the most difficult marches which we expe- 
 rienced. General M'Caskill was too ill to sit on 
 horseback : he proceeded, therefore, in a dooly,* 
 while the command devolved on Brigadier Mon- 
 teath. Jugdulluck is about fourteen miles from 
 Soorkab. The first three miles of the road is over 
 a range of hills by a winding and very narrow 
 and rocky path. It then continues for about 
 eight miles through a formidable pass, but 
 not what is generally called the pass. This 
 deviPs cleft turns off to the left at almost a right 
 angle with the road, and was the most terrific 
 place I had then ever beheld. There is a steep 
 descent into the mouth of it ; and from the gloom 
 and darkness in which the narrow and formidable 
 gorge is veiled, it would require no great effort of 
 the imagination to fancy it the regular road to 
 the infernal regions. The Ghilzees attacked us 
 in great force on the way, and kept up a sort 
 of running fight during the whole march. 
 
 At the mouth of the " descensus averni," or the 
 
 * A kind of litter carried by four men. 
 
 K 2 
 
196 THE JUGDULLUCK PASS. 
 
 pass, is a small plateau of level ground, to com- 
 mand which, sungahs had been erected by the 
 enemy on some neighbouring hills. When we 
 had arrived at this place, beating the Ghilzees 
 before us, it was getting very late in the day, and 
 we could make out by the continual heavy firing 
 behind us, that our rear-guard was very hotly 
 engaged with the enemy. As night was closing in, 
 our gallant brigadier, with his usual penetration, 
 foresaw that our little rear-guard would be placed 
 in a very perilous situation, while the baggage 
 animals were defiling through the pass, and 
 would not from the smallness of its numbers 
 be able to protect the long line of baggage from 
 the attacks of the enemy. He, therefore, most 
 judiciously halted the main body on this plateau, 
 and ordered the baggage to be taken immediately 
 through the pass after the advanced guard. I 
 was sent with a sub-division to take possession of 
 the sungah on the hill to the left of the road, and 
 my subaltern with the like force to take that 
 on the right. By these means, the rear-guard being 
 largely reinforced at the mouth of the pass, could 
 easily keep the enemy off, while the advanced 
 guard protected the baggage into camp. 
 
THE JUGDULLUCK PASS. 197 
 
 From the sungah of which I had taken pos- 
 session, I could see our gallant little rear-guard, 
 under the command of Colonel Bolton of the >/ 
 SlstRegiment, coming leisurely along the road 
 in rear of the long line of camels, literally en- 
 veloped in fire and smoke. Clouds of Ghilzees 
 were following it up, and the rattling of their 
 jezails was incessant. Ever and anon a party of 
 the soldiers would be sent out, and I could see 
 them driving the enemy before them like sheep. 
 They again, however, returned to the attack as 
 soon as the pursuit was discontinued ; and, al- 
 though numbers of them were continually drop- 
 ping under the well-directed fire of our men, still 
 they came on like so many devils. Their fero- 
 cious yells might be heard above the din of the 
 battle ; and, had not the main body of our di- 
 vision been halted where it was, our brave fellows 
 who composed the rear-guard would have been 
 placed in a critical position, the enemy out-num- 
 bering them in the proportion of more than 
 twenty to one. In about two hours, the whole of 
 the baggage was got through, while we kept the 
 enemy off by a constant fire on them from our 
 position. The rear-guard, having effectually routed 
 
198 THE JUGDULLUCK PASS. 
 
 the Affghans with whom they had so long sus- 
 tained the arduous and bloody contest which I 
 have endeavoured to describe, effected its junc- 
 tion with us. They had suffered severely ; and 
 their gallant leader had his horse wounded in two 
 places under him, but the enemy had received a 
 severe lesson. Every obstacle which could impede 
 the passage of the defile having now been over- 
 come, we again formed in column of march : and, 
 giving the Ghilzees a farewell volley, we entered 
 the pass. 
 
 I shall never forget the sight I saw here. The 
 poor fellows, who had fallen in Elphinstone's 
 retreat, lay together in heaps. Their bodies ab- 
 solutely choked up the narrow pass, and our men 
 were marching in a pulp of human matter. It 
 was impossible to avoid treading down the dead, 
 who were lying in hundreds in the road ; the 
 caves on either side were also full. The bodies 
 were in extraordinary preservation : the features 
 of several of the slain being recognized as those 
 of old friends by many of our officers and men. 
 This pass is exceedingly narrow, in some places 
 being not more than ten feet broad. As we were 
 marching along about half-way through the pass, 
 
THE JUGDULLUCK PASS. 199 
 
 a volley was poured upon us by a number of 
 Ghilzees, who had again collected on the heights, 
 and several of our men dropped. A most furious 
 action now commenced ; but the AfFghans having 
 been disheartened by the loss which they had 
 suffered, during the former part of this hotly- 
 contested march, soon gave way, and molested us 
 no more, except by a few occasional long shots. 
 
 When we were nearly out of the pass, I saw 
 the flash of a jezail from a hole in the side of a 
 hill, not thirty yards from us, and immediately 
 one of our men dropped, shot through the body. 
 I pointed the place out, and several of the men 
 ran up, and fired their muskets into the hole. 
 One of them then crept in, and dragged out the 
 body of an AfTghan, with four balls through him. 
 This circumstance will give the reader an idea of 
 the shifts these people make use of to harass an 
 enemy. Often have I been in a heavy fire, with- 
 out being able to see an enemy, who were 
 undoubtedly hidden away in caves about the 
 mountains, which are not easily distinguished, 
 being generally covered by stunted holly bushes, 
 the only kind of tree or shrub that grows on 
 these barren hills. 
 
200 NARROW ESCAPES. 
 
 An officer of ours, Lieutenant Shaw, had a very 
 narrow escaape during this day's action. He was 
 on the advanced guard with his company, a 
 sergeant of which being severely wounded and 
 obliged to walk, there being no means of carrying 
 him, in order to lighten his load, Lieutenant Shaw 
 took his musket from him. No sooner had Shaw 
 put it on his shoulder, than a bullet struck the 
 gold cord below it, and, slightly wounding the 
 flesh, flattened on the lock-plate of the musket, 
 the stock of which it broke. Had the musket not 
 been there, the ball of course would have gone 
 through his neck, and most probably killed him 
 on the spot. A soldier almost immediately after- 
 wards, while loading his musket, had the lock- 
 plate struck by another ball, which, had not his 
 weapon been in the priming position, would have 
 gone through his hip. Numberless narrow es- 
 capes of this kind take place in every action, 
 which would almost appear incredible. Captain 
 Urmston of the 31st, at the battle of Mazeena, 
 was saved from a severe wound from a bullet, 
 which struck, and was flattened on his sword 
 while hanging at his side. 
 
 The next morning the march was continued 
 
AN UNWELCOME RECEPTION. 201 
 
 towards Kuttasung. The enemy annoyed the 
 column by firing from the heights, and another 
 officer of the 31st Regiment and some men were 
 wounded. Captain Baldwin of the 31st, with 
 his company was on piquet here ; and he 
 managed, by concealing his men on one of the 
 hills after the rear-guard had moved off the en- 
 camping ground, to get a fine shot at a party of 
 Affghans who had come down to see what plun- 
 der they could lay hold of. They ascended 
 the very hill over the brow of which B lay 
 perdu, and came on to within about thirty 
 yards, when the soldiers sprang up and poured 
 a volley into them, which dropped some thirteen 
 or fourteen of the party. Such a scrambling was 
 never seen before. The survivors probably thought, 
 from the suddenness of the attack, that they had 
 unwittingly come in contact with the main body 
 of the British army. They took to their heels 
 at once; and many in their haste, losing their 
 footing on the steep descent, rolled headlong 
 over each other to the bottom, the soldiers in- 
 dulging in shouts of laughter at the panic, which 
 the success of their trick had caused among the 
 Affghans. 
 
 k3 
 
202 THE MARCH. 
 
 The enemy attempted nothing during this 
 march beyond some attacks on the baggage, in 
 which they were repulsed ; but their constant 
 firing on the column was exceedingly annoying. 
 It is astonishing at what an enormous distance 
 the fire from their long heavy rifles is effective. 
 Our men were continually struck with the 
 Affghan bullets, when we could reach the enemy 
 with nothing under a six-pounder. Our mus- 
 kets were useless when playing at long bowls. 
 The fact is, our muskets are about as bad speci- 
 mens of fire-arms as can be manufactured. The 
 triggers are so stiff, that pulling them completely 
 destroys any aim the soldier may take ; and, when 
 the machine does go off, the recoil is almost 
 enough to knock a man backwards. Again, the 
 ball is so much smaller than the bore of the barrel 
 that accuracy in its flight, at any considerable dis- 
 tance is impossible. The clumsy flint locks, also, 
 are constantly missing fire. 
 
 During this march, and the last, the road was 
 covered with the bodies of dead camels and 
 bullocks, which, being unable to proceed farther, 
 had been shot, and their loads burnt by the pre- 
 ceding division, to prevent their falling into the 
 
BARRICADE NEAR JUGDULLUCK. 203 
 
 hands of the enemy. We were obliged to destroy 
 scores of the wretched beasts in the same way, 
 and the stench of their rotting bodies was insup- 
 portable on our return. 
 
 During this march we passed the barricade 
 which the Affghans had built across the road to 
 intercept the retreat of the late unfortunate army. 
 The men of the horse artillery having abandoned 
 their guns, had acted as cavalry for some time be- 
 fore the arrival of the discomfited force at this 
 place. They made a furious charge at the barri- 
 cade, and were all killed in the attempt to force it. 
 The Affghans said that the Feringhees had fought 
 most desperately here, and allowed that their own 
 loss in defending the barricade against their at- 
 tacks had been very severe. Ca ptain Do dgiguo^ 
 the 44th, an officer with only one leg, but a most 
 determined and powerful man, had killed with his 
 own hand five of the Affghans before he was over- 
 powered. The bodies of the poor fellows and 
 those of their horses were lying very thickly 
 about. In a small ruinous fort on the left of the 
 road they were in heaps. They were hacked 
 about in a most frightful manner by the long 
 knives of the savage Affghans, and, from the posi- 
 
204 THE RETREAT. 
 
 tion and number of the slain, there had been evi- 
 dently a most desperate conflict within the fort. 
 
 The enemy had of course removed their own 
 slain ; but Akbar Khan himself allowed, that five 
 thousand of his men had fallen in the pursuit of 
 the worn out and starved army of General Elphin- 
 stone, the greater part of whom having no ammu- 
 nition, were reduced to the necessity of using 
 the butt ends of their firelocks as the only means 
 of defence. Fifteen thousand men had fallen 
 between Cabul and Gundamuck; but not above 
 five thousand of the number were fighting men, 
 the remainder being composed of camp followers 
 and sick and wounded European and native 
 soldiers, who could not use their arms. The 
 greater part of those perished in the snow about 
 the passes of Koord Cabul and Tezeen. But 
 one man of the whole army escaped, Dr. Brydon, 
 who, although severely wounded, managed to get 
 into Jellalabad, bearing the news of the disaster to 
 the garrison. 
 
 At Kuttasung, I was on piquet with my com- 
 pany, and the enemy kept us on the alert by occa- 
 sionally favouring us with a few shots. No 
 damage, however, was done. When the rear- 
 
STEALING A BULLOCK. 205 
 
 guard moved off in the morning, the piquets were 
 ordered to retain their position on the heights 
 until the guns were dragged up a steep eminence 
 which presented itself on the commencement of 
 the march, and which could be completely swept 
 by an enemy occupying the position in which 
 we were. While this delay took place, I had some 
 good fun with a number of Affghans who had 
 come down to our late encampment, and were 
 trying to take possession of a half-starved and 
 worn out bullock, which had been overlooked by 
 the party whose duty it was to destroy all such 
 baggage animals as were unable to proceed. The 
 brute was just within gunshot of my piquet, and 
 the Affghans who were dodging about the large 
 stones of the valley, were saluted by a shot 
 whenever they showed themselves, which they 
 were obliged to do when running from behind one 
 rock to another, coming nearer the coveted prize 
 each time. Some three or four of them got the 
 worst of this sort of fun, but at last one desperate 
 fellow, stealing from behind a stone, seized the 
 bullock's halter, and, although saluted with a 
 volley of musketry, he was so active in dodging 
 about from one place of cover to another, that he 
 
205 A FORCED MARCH. 
 
 led it some distance away. A ball at last, how- 
 ever, struck the ground close by him, and he let 
 the animal go, and ran off to a respectful distance, 
 seemingly waiting until we should take our depar- 
 ture. When we were ordered to move off, in 
 order to join the rear-guard, I have no doubt 
 they had a fine fight among themselves for the 
 prize. 
 
 The rear-guard was under the command of the 
 late talented and distinguished Major Skinner of 
 the 31st regiment. When we joined it, we heard 
 that an express had been received from General 
 Pollock, ordering us to make a forced march of 
 the next two regular marches, and join him in the 
 valley of Tezeen. This was the most fatiguing 
 and difficult march that we experienced; the 
 artillery horses were knocked up, and our men had 
 to drag the guns nearly the whole way. The enemy 
 annoyed us very much on the road, disputing the 
 ground inch by inch, and making several attacks 
 on the baggage, in all of which, however, they 
 were repulsed with loss. We arrived in camp 
 long after dark, completely knocked up, and not 
 till we had been obliged to shoot one elephant, 
 sixty-five camels, and fifty-five bullocks, and 
 
CRUELTY OF THE AFFGHANS. 207 
 
 to destroy their loads, principally consisting of pro- 
 visions for the army. The poor brutes had fallen 
 down from exhaustion on the road. 
 
 I saw a horrible sight, while we were on this 
 march. It was a heap of above fifteen hundred 
 dead bodies of sepoys and camp followers who 
 had belonged to the army of General Elphinstone. 
 These poor wretches, we heard, being unable 
 to retreat farther, had huddled themselves toge- 
 ther in a group for the purpose of affording 
 mutual warmth to their frost-bitten limbs. When 
 the cruel enemy discovered them, they barbarously 
 stripped the poor unfortunates of their scanty 
 clothing, and left them naked in the snow to die 
 of cold, reviling them with bitter taunts, and re- 
 fusing to put them to death at once, although 
 the poor wretches prayed them to do so as the 
 greatest charity they could shew them. Many of 
 these bodies were those of women and children. 
 
 We fired a few shells from a howitzer during 
 the evening at a body of the enemy, who an- 
 noyed us considerably while we were dragging the 
 guns up a hill, a short distance from the camp ; 
 and the sight of the shells spinning into the air, 
 together with the glare of the lighted fuses had 
 
208 SHELLS. 
 
 a most beautiful effect in the darkness which had 
 succeeded the brightness of the day. When the 
 shells burst, they quite illuminated the sides 
 of the hills, and we could see by their light 
 the enemy tumbling about on all sides when 
 one luckily alighted among them. 
 
ENCAMPMENT AT TEZEEN. 209 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Valley of Tezeen Night attack Battle of Tezeen Storm- 
 ing the left heights A charge of bayonets A fat chief 
 Arrival at Koord Cabul Scene within the pass Arrival 
 at Cabul Rescue of the prisoners Noble conduct of 
 Akbar Khan Capture of Cabul British Flag hoisted in 
 the Bala Hissar Artillery taken Extraordinary reco- 
 very of a Will Arrival of General Nott Battle of 
 Istaliff Destruction of Cabul. 
 
 Nothing was gained after all by this forced 
 march. The cattle were so completely knocked 
 up, that the whole army was obliged to halt the 
 next day. Had we been allowed to perform the 
 two marches in the regular manner, we should 
 have effected our junction with the first division 
 without one fifth the loss of stores, on the same 
 day which we were thus obliged to waste by halt- 
 ing. 
 
210 ENCAMPMENT AT TEZEEN. 
 
 During this day, our piquets were constantly 
 engaged with parties of the enemy on the hills ; 
 and in the afternoon the gallant Colonel Taylor 
 of the 9th, took his regiment out, in order to 
 recover the body of a sergeant of the corps, 
 who had been killed in the morning, and left 
 on a hill. It was a beautiful sight from below 
 to see the brave 9th beating the fellows over the 
 mountains. The enemy were in great force, and 
 fought manfully ; but were at last completely 
 broken and dispersed, leaving many dead behind 
 them. During the night, however, they made 
 furious attacks on the piquets, and on the camp 
 itself. I was sent with my company, accom- 
 panied by No. 4 company under Captain Baldwin, 
 to retake a hill from which a body of sepoys 
 had been driven. They had been attacked by 
 the enemy in force ; and after a heavy loss were 
 obliged to give way, but the Affghans quickly 
 retreated when reinforcements arrived from camp. 
 
 Lieutenant Montgomery, who commanded the 
 company of sepoys who were on piquet on this 
 hill, behaved admirably. He was shot through 
 the arm, while charging one of the assailants with 
 a bayonet, but he never left his post, and refused 
 
A NIGHT ATTACK. 211 
 
 to go on the sick list ; and, although severely 
 wounded, he commanded his company in the 
 next day's action. 
 
 It was about eleven o'clock at night when we 
 were sent out to retake this hill, and I got 
 into camp about half-past twelve, having left 
 Lieutenant Pollard and a sub-division of my com- 
 pany on the hill, at the command of Captain 
 Baldwin, in obedience to the request of the officer 
 who commanded the piquet of sepoys which 
 had been sent to relieve those who had suffered 
 so severely. About half-past one, Pollard re- 
 turned, as his services were no longer required, 
 the enemy not having renewed the attack in that 
 quarter. 
 
 At this time the Affghans made an attack, and 
 penetrated some way into the camp. They were, 
 however, met by the Jezailchees, * who quickly 
 drove them back, cutting up a number of them 
 with their long knives. All the troops were 
 of course turned out and kept on the alert. The 
 enemy were firing into the camp from every 
 height that was not absolutely in possession of 
 
 * Affghan riflemen in British pay. 
 
212 THE HUFT KOTUL. 
 
 our piquets; and their bullets were flying like 
 hail among our tents. The sides of the hill were 
 illuminated in every direction by the constant 
 flashes of their jezails and the muskets of our 
 piquets. 
 
 About three o'clock in the morning the fire of 
 the enemy slackened, and when day began to 
 dawn it ceased entirely. Not an Affghan was 
 to be seen on the heights, and we were rather puz- 
 zled to imagine what had become of them. The 
 advanced-guard was under the command of Sir 
 Robert Sale, and was composed of three com- 
 panies of H.M. 9th ; three companies of H.M. 
 13th, and two companies of H.M. 31st; with 
 a troop of horse artillery ; Backhouse's mountain- 
 train, and some of H.M. 3rd light dragoons. The 
 march was of a severe description, being for 
 the first four miles through the Tezeen pass, 
 a defile of most formidable character, and over 
 seven hills, the last of which, by name the " Huft 
 Kotul,"* is seven thousand eight hundred feet 
 above the sea. The paths were narrow and diffi- 
 
 * From two Persian words, " Huft" seven, and "Kotul" 
 a hill. 
 
BATTLE OF TEZEEN. 213 
 
 cult ; in many places mere goat tracks, with yawn- 
 ing precipices on either side, down which many of 
 our baggage animals toppled over, and were 
 lost. 
 
 The two companies of the 31st, attached to the 
 advanced guard, were No. 3, of which I had the 
 command, and No. 4 under Captain Baldwin. At 
 daybreak, we moved off our encamping ground, 
 and joined the others in the road leading to the 
 pass. We moved forward in column of sections, 
 according to the seniority of regiments, and 
 entered the pass without seeing any indication of 
 an enemy. We had proceeded about two miles 
 in the defile, when suddenly a long sheet of flame 
 issued from the heights on each side, and a 
 thousand balls came whizzing and whistling about 
 our heads. The hills were lined with the enemy 
 in great force, and they began a most heavy fire. 
 Some of our men dropped, but we did not long 
 give them the opportunity to pepper us at their 
 convenience. Sir Robert soon gave the word for 
 the 13th to ascend and storm the heights on the 
 right, and the 9th and 31st those on the left. 
 Up we went, helter skelter. The hill was very high 
 and precipitous, and not easily ascended at any 
 
214 BATTLE OF TEZEEN. 
 
 time ; the shot of the enemy, however, quickened 
 our motions, and in a short time we were up 
 and at them. The fire was tremendous ; the 
 bullets were hopping and whistling among us in 
 every direction. The enemy were very numerous, 
 and seemed disposed to fight to the last for the 
 possession of the heights. No sooner, however, 
 had our men arrived at the top, than they fixed 
 bayonets, and with a loud hurrah charged the 
 enemy. 
 
 The Affghans stood manfully, being encouraged 
 by their leaders ; but it was but for a moment it 
 passed and they were borne bodily down the 
 hill. Such a smoke and confusion as preceded 
 the charge I never witnessed before, or since ; 
 scarcely could I see a yard on either side. The 
 AfFghans were shouting their war cry of " Allah 
 il ullah '' and reproaching us with various elegant 
 names, such as dogs, kafirs and the like, and 
 assuring us we never should reach Cabul. Some 
 of Captain Broadfoot's sappers, who were with us, 
 gave them as good as they sent in right good 
 Billingsgate. The loss on our side in taking pos- 
 session of this important post, was much less than 
 could have been expected, but few casualties occur- 
 
BATTLE OF TEZEEN. 215 
 
 ring among our men. An officer of the 9th, was 
 severely wounded ; and my subaltern, Lieutenant 
 Pollard, who was always first in a fray, was knocked 
 down and received a severe contusion from a large 
 block of stone, while most gallantly attempting to 
 take a standard. Many Affghans were bayoneted 
 on the summit of this height, and I should like 
 some of those gentlemen who write about the 
 bayonet being a useless weapon, to have seen the 
 execution done by our gallant fellows that day. 
 
 There is no weapon like the bayonet in the 
 hands of a British soldier. The Affghans would 
 stand like statues against firing, but the sight of 
 the bristling line of cold steel they could not 
 endure. The bayonet has decided numerous con. 
 flicts in all quarters of the globe, and, I doubt not, 
 will decide many more. 
 
 Among those of the enemy who fell, was a very 
 portly chief. He was astonishingly fat ; and a man 
 of my company, who was a butcher, came up to 
 me, and pointing him out, " Be Jasus, Sir/' said 
 my Hibernian friend, smacking his lips with pro- 
 fessional gusto, " I never seen a man in such fine 
 condition in my life. Why Sir, he has got my 
 finger deep of fat on his ribs/' and he looked 
 quite longingly at the fellow's carcase. 
 
216 BATTLE OF TEZEEN. 
 
 i 
 
 From the pocket of this corpulent indivi- 
 dual, one of the men of my company took a 
 long roll of paper, on which was a quantity 
 of Persian writing. He gave it to me, and, on 
 arrival in camp, I forwarded it to the brigade- 
 major, thinking that it might contain some im- 
 portant intelligence. It turned out, however, to be 
 the marriage settlement of his daughter, who ap- 
 peared by the document, to have entered upon 
 a state of connubial felicity but a few days 
 before the battle, in which her obese progenitor 
 fell. 
 
 An officer of the 9th showed me a jezail which 
 he had taken from an Affghan who was killed. 
 It was loaded, and I was astonished at the quantity 
 of charge which it contained. The ramrod, when 
 put down the barrel, extended fully a foot from 
 the muzzle. There must have been four or five 
 times as much powder in the charge as is contained 
 in one of our cartridges. 
 
 No sooner had we broken the Affghans, than 
 we kept them on the run along the heights, which 
 are generally in continuous ridges the whole length 
 of the pass. The height on which we were, was 
 commanded by other hills, that were from our 
 position perfectly inaccessible, and from which the 
 
BATTLE OF TEZEEN. 217 
 
 AfFghans, in number about ten thousand, kept 
 upon us a most incessant and galling cross fire. 
 At a particular part of the pass where an opening 
 appeared for the use of artillery, we were ordered 
 by signal from below to lie down, which being 
 obeyed, the howitzers began to throw shrapnel 
 shells over us among the Affghans, who lined the 
 heights which towered above those we occupied. 
 
 This situation was to us about the most un- 
 pleasant in which we could be placed. The shells 
 kept whistling past about three or four feet above 
 us ; and, had one by accident burst before it was 
 intended to do so, no small havoc would have 
 been played among us by our friends The shells 
 were, however, admirably directed, and they soon 
 had the desired effect among the enemy. 
 
 The gallant 13th were as successful on their 
 side as we had been on ours. Among the enemy 
 opposed to them, I observed one individual 
 whose bravery was very conspicuous. He carried 
 a large blood-red standard, which trailed on the 
 ground behind him, as he sloped the pole over 
 his shoulder. When the 13th were pushed up 
 the hill, the enemy retired, keeping up during their 
 retreat a desultory fire on the advancing soldiers. 
 
218 BATTLE OF TEZEEN. 
 
 The brave standard-bearer, however, would not 
 leave his post, but continued standing in a very 
 exposed position on the pinnacle of a rock, 
 brandishing his tulwar in his right hand, and 
 daring the soldiers to come on. They did not 
 want much invitation; but the ascent was very 
 steep which rendered them unsteady in their aim. 
 Fifty muskets were fired at the gallant Affghan, 
 who still maintained his place, until three or four 
 of the most active soldiers got within about a 
 hundred yards of him. He then slowly retired, 
 and disappeared behind the rocks. Great was my 
 surprise on seeing him when the soldiers had 
 nearly reached the station he had left, suddenly 
 re-appear, flourishing his sword over his head with 
 the most vehement gestures. The only answer 
 they made was by a discharge of their firelocks 
 at him, but apparently without effect, as he turned 
 leisurely away, and continued to retire slowly up 
 the hill brandishing his sword and his flag until 
 he disappeared over the brow of the mountain. 
 I did not hear whether he subsequently fell or not, 
 but certainly if he did escape, he deserved it for 
 his undaunted bravery. 
 When we had completely succeeded in driving the 
 
BATTLE OF TEZEEN. 219 
 
 enemy from the range of heights which commanded 
 the pass, I was ordered with my company to 
 retain possession of a hill which commanded a 
 turn in the road, until the main column and 
 baggage had passed, when I was to join the rear 
 guard as soon as it appeared. 
 
 During the whole of this successful attack, 
 which resulted in the enemy being completely 
 beaten at all points, on the left heights of the 
 Tezeen pass, Captain Baldwin of H.M. 31st regi- 
 ment was the senior officer present, and the 
 regiment felt much aggrieved at the omission of 
 that fact in the official account of the action, 
 for if particular credit was due to any individual 
 where all did their duty so well, he, as senior, 
 was that one. 
 
 From my elevated position I obtained a good 
 view of the battle, which raged far and wide on 
 every side, except on the part of the heights of 
 which we had taken possession. The little 
 Goorkhas, who filled the ranks of Broadfoot's 
 sappers, behaved most splendidly. Far in the 
 distance were to be seen small parties of these 
 diminutive warriors, driving strong bodies of the 
 bulky AfFghans before them. I saw one little 
 
 l 2 
 
220 BATTLE OF TEZEEN. 
 
 Goorkha, who was certainly not five feet high, 
 perform a most gallant act. A number of them 
 had attacked an outpost of the enemy, which was 
 commanded by a height in their possession be- 
 hind it. The sappers, by their well-directed fire, 
 soon drove the detached Affghans from their post 
 to that of their friends above. A chief, who was 
 on horseback, did not retire for some time, but 
 continued bravely at his post. Two or three of 
 the Goork has, however, having approached him 
 unpleasantly near, he turned his horse's head, and 
 gallopped up the eminence on which his men 
 had retreated. The little Nepaulese, whom I have 
 mentioned, ran forward, and taking a long aim at 
 the chief, who was gallopping full speed, at least 
 a hundred yards* distance from him, fired, and tum- 
 bled horse and man over and over each other, until 
 they reached the bottom of the hill. The Affghans 
 immediately commenced a furious fire from 
 above to prevent the body of their chief being 
 despoiled ; but the little Goorkha, caring no more 
 for their bullets than if they had been so many 
 snowballs, ran to the spot, and coolly taking out 
 his knife, very deliberately hacked the fellow's 
 head off, bringing that, his sword, and his horse, 
 
BATTLE OF TEZEEN. 221 
 
 away in triumph. The horse was a very fine animal, 
 but unfortunately was struck in the shoulder 
 by the Goorkha's ball, which had passed through 
 the man's thigh, and thus brought them down 
 together. 
 
 The Affghans had a large body of cavalry in 
 the field, which were charged and utterly over- 
 thrown by H.M. 3rd Dragoons and the 1st Light 
 Cavalry. A dragoon, while riding at a chief 
 whose trappings were of the most costly descrip- 
 tion had his horse shot under him by a pistol 
 from the AfTghan. The soldier fell with his 
 charger ; but quickly disengaging himself from the 
 disabled animal, he passed his sword through the 
 chief's body. Then vaulting on his horse, he con- 
 tinued the charge with his comrades, and brought 
 the gallant ArTghan steed, with his magnificent 
 caparisons, safely into camp. 
 
 The Resaldar, or native commandant of Tait's 
 irregular horse, also performed a most splendid 
 action. He had gone with a number of his men 
 round a narrow track, in order to take a large body 
 of Affghan horse in flank. But, on arriving close to 
 them, a broad and deep ravine, which had not before 
 been perceived, was found to intervene between the 
 
222 BATTLE OF TEZEEN. 
 
 belligerents. The horses of the sowars* could 
 not get over such a place ; but the gallant Re- 
 saldar, being mounted on a splendid Arab, made 
 a dash over the yawning gulf, and cut his way 
 right and left through the enemy and back again, 
 before they had recovered from their astonish- 
 ment. The heroic Mussulman took the leap back 
 and rejoined his men in safety, having killed five 
 AfFghans in his desperate charge in less time 
 than I have taken to tell the story. For this 
 achievement he was afterwards very properly 
 rewarded with the decoration of British India. 
 
 Dr. Brydon, who was the only individual for- 
 tunate enough to escape the massacre of General 
 Elphinstone's force, had been appointed to the 
 medical charge of the 33rd Regiment N.I., and 
 I heard he had another very narrow escape in 
 this engagement. He was sitting on the pole 
 by which a dooly is carried, when a six-pound 
 shot from one of the enemy's guns struck and 
 splintered the bamboo, without injuring him in 
 the least. 
 
 Two pieces of artillery, a twenty-four pounder 
 
 Troopers. 
 
BATTLE OF TEZEEN. 223 
 
 howitzer, and a twelve pounder, which had been 
 placed in the road to dispute the passage were 
 quickly taken; and the artillery men, who were prin- 
 cipally renegade Hindostanees, were put to the 
 sword. Akbar Khan's own state tent, also, was 
 taken and burnt. He had prepared a great feast for 
 his chiefs after his anticipated victory; and the beef 
 and bread which were provided in large quantities 
 near his tent were no unwelcome prizes to our 
 hungry men, who laughed with uncontrollable 
 merriment w T hen they witnessed the preparations 
 which had been so unintentionally made for them 
 by the enemy. 
 
 The Affghans having been completely routed 
 by the advanced guard and main column, moved 
 to the rear, and made a most furious attack on the 
 rear-guard. Here they were received by Colonel 
 Richmond of 33rd N. I., who commanded in a 
 most masterly manner ; and in a short time, find- 
 ing the day was lost, the hostile army dispersed 
 by different mountain tracks. So utterly were 
 they overthrown, that Akbar Khan himself, we 
 heard, made his escape from the field, accom- 
 panied by but one horseman out of the twenty- 
 thousand warriors who had swelled his ranks that 
 
224 BATTLE OF TEZEEN. 
 
 morning. When the rear-guard appeared on the 
 road below the hill on which I was stationed, I 
 was called down by signal and joined them. The 
 enemy had amused themselves during the greater 
 part of the time that I occupied the post in 
 firing jingal* balls at my party. No damage, 
 however, was done by them, as we could easily 
 cover ourselves when we heard the missiles coming. 
 They fired from a great distance having had 
 quite enough of close quarters during the early 
 part of the day. 
 
 In this engagement the gallant Major Skinner 
 of H.M. 31st Regiment particularly distinguished 
 himself. He was sent in command of a detach- 
 ment across the hills towards the valley of Koord 
 Cabul, by a totally different route to that by 
 which the main army proceeded. While exe- 
 cuting this dangerous movement in a country so 
 difficult, and imperfectly known, he suddenly 
 found himself in the presence of a part of the 
 Affghan army of immeasurably superior numbers. 
 By a series of most masterly manoeuvres, he not 
 only extricated himself from this exceedingly 
 perilous position, but defeated with great slaughter, 
 * Large swivels. 
 
BATTLE OF TEZEEN. 225 
 
 and with little comparative loss to himself, a 
 
 body of the enemy of at least five times his force. 
 
 Poor Skinner is now no more. He died on the 
 
 Himalayan mountains, where he had proceeded 
 
 
 for the benefit of his health shortly after the 
 
 return of the army. The cause of his death was 
 dysentery, contracted during his exertions in this 
 arduous campaign. By his death the service was 
 deprived of a bright ornament, and I of a sincere 
 friend. He was a first-rate officer, and had his 
 life been spared, and opportunity afforded him, 
 he would have achieved no ordinary reputation. 
 Seeming born to command, he was one of that 
 class of men whose reputation lives long after 
 their frail bodies have returned to their parent 
 dust. 
 
 After I joined the rear-guard, we had no oppo- 
 sition. From time to time we saw large bodies 
 of the enemy taking their departure over the 
 hills, and sometimes had an opportunity of quick- 
 ening their motions by sending a shell or two 
 after them. The road was covered with the dead 
 bodies of Elphinstone's unfortunate army, inter- 
 mixed with those of many Affghans who had 
 fallen that day, and some of whom the camp 
 
 l 3 
 
226 THE TAREKEE TUNGEE. 
 
 followers had dreadfully mutilated. The day- 
 after the battle, a messenger was intercepted by 
 us from Khodabux Khan, the chief of Tezeen, 
 
 to his brother in Kohistan. In a letter found on 
 
 * 
 
 him, the chief mentioned that Akbar Khan and 
 himself had tried to interrupt our progress with 
 twenty thousand men, but that we had accom- 
 plished our purpose in spite of them ; and that 
 he, therefore, thought the best thing his brother 
 could do was to go to our camp, and try to make 
 peace with us, opposition being now out of the 
 question. Khodabux stated their loss as consist- 
 ing of about fifty chiefs and seven hundred men 
 killed, and about double that number wounded. 
 He also said that he thought the Feringees 
 must have lost a great number of men, as the 
 battle was long and obstinately contested. His 
 conjectures were however wrong, our casualties 
 being very slight, amounting to only one hundred 
 and eighty-five. 
 
 After passing the last hill, there is a narrow 
 defile, called the Tarekee Tungee, between rocks 
 which rise perpendicularly on each side. This 
 place is not much more than two hundred yards 
 in length, but was completely choked with dead 
 
KOORD CABUL. 227 
 
 bodies. The stench was most horrible in the 
 confined passage ; and, although we had become, in 
 a great measure, accustomed to that sort of thing 
 since we left Gundamuck, it was here absolutely 
 insupportable. These bodies were, of course, 
 part of the unlucky Cabul force who had been 
 shot down here by wholesale. 
 
 We arrived in camp at Koord Gabul late at 
 night. I was immediately ordered to go on piquet 
 with my company on the Cabul road; and I was 
 certainly never in worse humour for anything of the 
 kind in my life. I was completely knocked up, hav- 
 ing been engaged the whole day with the enemy, 
 climbing up and down hills ; awake all the night 
 before, having had to proceed from the camp to 
 succour the piquet which was attacked, as I have 
 before described; nor had either I or my men tasted 
 a mouthful of food for upwards of thirty hours. 
 Off we started, however, and I received orders to 
 pass any AiFghans who might come to my post 
 and seek admittance to the camp. It was ex- 
 pected, indeed, that many of the chiefs would 
 make their submission, who had remained neutral 
 until they should find out which was the stronger 
 party. I posted my sentries, and sat down with 
 
228 KOORD CABUL. 
 
 Pollard to smoke a cheroot, having first discussed 
 some huge lumps of half-burnt flesh, which our 
 servants brought to our post, and which they 
 denominated grilled mutton. We were hungry 
 enough to make no objections, by whatever name 
 they might choose to call this dog's-meat-looking 
 stuff. During the night, my men also had food 
 brought to them. 
 
 Some of our friends soon appeared and wanted 
 to come in. The greater part of the rascals had 
 evidently been fighting against us that day. Their 
 horses were covered with sweat and dirt, and their 
 housings torn and disarranged. The men, too, 
 seemed knocked up, and altogether anybody 
 might discern they had lately been at no easy 
 work. Nevertheless, they were passed in according 
 to orders. I was dreadfully sleepy, and how the 
 sentries managed to keep themselves awake was 
 above my comprehension, for I am sure that I 
 visited them, and gave every order in a state of 
 semi-somnambulism. 
 
 From the heavy sleep which soon overcame me, 
 I was only aroused by the click, click, clicking, 
 of the loosening of the tent pegs, which were being 
 struck, and by the busy hum of the camp below, 
 
KOORD CABUL PASS. 229 
 
 which informed me that morning had arrived, and 
 that we must be up and stirring- As the only toilet 
 we had to perform was to rub our eyes, much 
 time was not wasted in that employment. I was 
 dreadfully stiff and sore from the loose stones on 
 which I had been lying all night. So fatigued had 
 I been, that the night appeared not to have ex- 
 ceeded more than five minutes in duration. I 
 had, notwithstanding, visited my sentries several 
 times and inspected the reliefs, and I had burned 
 a large hole in my cloak from my lighted cigar 
 falling on it, when I was suddenly overcome by 
 sleep. 
 
 We formed part of the rear-guard, and moved 
 off at about nine o'clock a.m., after shooting about 
 fifty baggage animals, towards the pass of Koord 
 Cabul. The entrance of this defile is about a mile 
 from the encamping ground in the valley of the 
 same name. On entering the pass, we were all 
 struck with astonishment: we thought we had seen 
 before as formidable places as could by any possi- 
 bility exist, but they were absolutely nothing in 
 comparison with this almost impregnable defile. 
 It was only necessary to cast one glance on the 
 stupendous heights which, towering to a vast 
 
230 KOORD CABUL PASS. 
 
 height one over the other, commanded us in 
 front, in the rear, and on both flanks, to make us 
 feel our utter insignificance, and the weakness 
 of human power where the strong hand of nature 
 is stretched forth to arrest its progress. To 
 mount these heights was next to an impossibility. 
 One man on their summit was more than a 
 match for five hundred in the narrow pass below. 
 By a few strokes of a sledge hammer on the 
 enormous masses of rock, which projecting over 
 the pass, seemed to totter in mid air, whole batta- 
 lions in an instant might have been overwhelmed 
 in one common destruction. 
 
 Akbar Khan had determined originally to meet 
 us here and to decide the fate of Cabul. He had 
 neglected no artificial means to render the natural 
 difficulties of the way still more insuperable. 
 Strong barricades of stone were erected across 
 the path between the heights; and on these 
 themselves, sungah surmounted sungah, from under 
 cover of which a most murderous fire might be 
 kept up on all parts of the pass by the defenders, 
 with little comparative risk to themselves. The 
 pass is very winding, so that at every turn all 
 sides of an invading army are assailable at once. It 
 
KOORD CABUL PASS. 231 
 
 was originally formed no doubt by the river which 
 runs along it, and which we had to cross no less 
 than six and twenty times during this day's march. 
 Fortunately Akbar Khan's better judgment was 
 overruled by the turbulent spirits under him. 
 When the halt in the Tezeen valley was forced 
 upon our army, by the condition of the cattle, the 
 Affghans, who were carefully watching our mo- 
 tions, attributed it either to hesitation or to fear. 
 Khodabux Khan, the chief of Tezeen, sent word to 
 Akbar that we had suffered considerably in our pre- 
 vious engagements, and were reduced to such ex- 
 tremities that we could neither advance nor retreat, 
 and that therefore he ought to come down, and, 
 concentrating his whole force for the attack, to cut 
 us to pieces where we were. Akbar reluctantly 
 complied with the demand of his chiefs, and, mov- 
 ing from his stronghold, met us in the Tezeen 
 pass, and Huft Kotul. The result was, as I have 
 before described, the utter annihilation of his 
 army. So great was the panic excited among 
 the Affghans by the events of that day, that our 
 passage through the most difficult pass of the 
 whole was undisputed. Some few shots were dis- 
 chargd at the rear-guard but nothing more. 
 
232 SCENE WITHIN THE PASS. 
 
 The scene within the pass was of the most 
 heart-rending description. Elphinstone's army 
 had suffered most dreadfully here, and the dead 
 lay in heaps. They seemed, indeed, in some 
 places, to have been mowed down by whole bat- 
 talions. They had been preserved in the snow, 
 and their ghastly faces often apparently turned 
 towards us, seemed to call upon their fellow-coun- 
 trymen to revenge their fate. 
 
 On many of the bodies we found packets of 
 letters in perfect preservation ; and on one, evi- 
 dently that of an officer, placed next his heart, 
 a small packet containing a long fair lock of 
 woman's hair. Alas ! some fond heart, no doubt, 
 still aches for him, whose once manly form still 
 lies unburied in this fatal pass ! What a lesson for 
 human pride was this ! Some of England's best 
 blood the officer of rank the private soldier 
 and the humble camp follower, lowest of the 
 low, all lay here in one undistinguishable mass of 
 slain ! 
 
 Poor fellows, their gallantry deserved a better 
 fate. They fought and died like soldiers, while 
 gaunt famine was preying upon their very vitals. 
 They did all that men could do : but hunger and 
 
BOOTKAK. 233 
 
 cold they could not overcome. Of the fatal mis- 
 management which led to the disastrous situation 
 which cost so many brave men their lives, I shall, 
 at present, say nothing, as it is my intention to 
 make a few observations regarding it hereafter. It 
 appears to be pretty well understood in England. 
 On emerging from the Koord Cabul pass, we 
 found a quantity of shot and shells which had 
 been abandoned by the discomfited Affghan army 
 during their precipitate flight. Our camp was 
 about five miles from the pass, and it was with 
 the greatest difficulty that I kept myself partially 
 awake until we arrived at Bootkak, so completely 
 was I knocked up with the exertions of the last four 
 or five days. I was continually falling into a slum- 
 ber while on my horse, from which I was only 
 aroused by nodding my head against his neck, or by 
 the poor brute's stumbling, on one occasion of his 
 doing which, I was thoroughly awakened by getting 
 rather a heavy fall. On arriving in camp, I found 
 my tent pitched, and throwing myself down on 
 the ground, without taking off a single article of 
 clothing, I went fast asleep, and never awoke 
 until the bugle sounded the next morning for the 
 march towards Cabul. 
 
234 CABUL. 
 
 We were joined during this march by many 
 A Afghan chiefs, who professed themselves our best 
 friends, although we knew well enough they had 
 been fighting as hard as they could against us until 
 they found it was of no use. We were also met 
 by some of the regiments of Shah Soojah's force, 
 with bands playing, and by many of the Kuzzil- 
 bashes. Our soldiers seemed rather sulky with 
 our Affghan friends, who, though they professed 
 so much for us, probably lent a hand towards 
 the late tragedy ; and, had our circumstances 
 been otherwise than they were, would doubtless 
 have done their best to have served us in 
 the same manner. It was, however, necessary 
 to get supplies, which would have been diffi- 
 cult but for the assistance of these new allies, 
 and when we arrived in camp at Cabul I heard 
 that we had but two days' provision for the army 
 left. / 
 
 We encamped about three miles from the city of 
 Cabul, which was deserted by the greater number 
 of the inhabitants, who had also removed most of 
 their valuables when they heard the result of the 
 battle of Tezeen. Sir Richmond Shakspeare pro- 
 ceeded with a body of about eight hundred Kuz- 
 
.. 
 
RESCUE OF THE PRISONERS. 235 
 
 zilbashes to a fort some marches off, and was 
 fortunate enough to recover the whole of the 
 prisoners taken by the Affghans from the late un- 
 fortunate force, with the exception of Captain 
 Bygrave, who however was very generously sent 
 back in a few days afterwards by Akbar Khan, 
 who, finding his game was up, nobly observed, 
 it would be a poor revenge on his part to keep 
 a solitary individual from his friends, and bade 
 him go and join his countrymen. I believe 
 he even furnished him with the best escort his 
 altered fortunes would allow to protect him on the 
 road. 
 
 The Bala Hissar was taken possession of by a 
 detachment from the different regiments of the 
 army on the day of our arrival, and the British 
 flag hoisted on the highest pinnacle of the 
 ramparts. 
 
 Many brass and iron cannon, in all seventy 
 or eighty pieces, were found inside. Some 
 were very beautifully ornamented with various 
 figures of fish and other animals, while the muzzles 
 were shaped like alligators' heads which, when 
 they were fired, would seem to emit thunder 
 and flame. One of the pieces was about eight 
 
236 RECOVERY OF A WILL. 
 
 feet long, made of iron, of an octagon shape and 
 rifled. This extraordinary cannon would carry a 
 three or four pound ball, and was doubtless an 
 excellent and most destructive mountain gun. It 
 was made in a remarkably light and tasty manner. 
 There was also a very beautiful Dutch brass 
 twenty-four pounder among them. How Mynheer 
 got there, I cannot imagine -, but it certainly was 
 as fine a piece of ordnance as I have ever seen. 
 We also searched all the forts in the vicinity, and 
 found a most miscellaneous collection of articles 
 in all of them. Numberless packets of letters and 
 office papers, wearing apparel, hair brushes, and 
 all sorts of things belonging to the late unfortunate 
 force were discovered. Among other things was 
 found the copy of the will of Captain S., of our 
 own regiment, who died near Pesh Bolak. This 
 will had been sent for from lower India at that 
 time ; but the dak in which it was forwarded had 
 been intercepted by the enemy. Singularly enough, 
 that after having gone through Akbar's hands it 
 should again turn up and fall into those of the 
 deceased's friends. Quantities of grain and lucerne 
 grass, twisted into ropes for winter's consumption, 
 were found, and such of our cattle as were now 
 
THE BALA HISSAR. 237 
 
 left, found themselves at last in the midst of 
 plenty. 
 
 The city of Cabui is very extensive, and the 
 houses are far superior to those which I have 
 ever seen in any Indian city. With the exception, 
 however, of the principal choke* and bazaars, the 
 streets are exceedingly narrow and dirty. The 
 Bala Hissar is a strong citadel surrounded by a 
 high wall and bastions of stone work, and encom- 
 passed by a wet ditch, the formidable character of 
 which is much increased by the banks being, for 
 some distance from the fortress, of a very boggy 
 nature. But there is this fault about the strong- 
 hold : it is too extensive and would require a great 
 number of men to defend it properly. It is built 
 at the foot of a high mountain which completely 
 commands it, but across which is built a strong 
 wall, strengthened by small towers at intervals. 
 Doubtless it would be exceedingly difficult to take 
 this mountain, if properly defended ; but it would 
 require a very large force to perform that service. 
 However, the Bala Hissar with all its faults and dis- 
 advantages of situation and fortification, would with 
 
 * Market-place. 
 
238 ARRIVAL OF GENERAL NOTT. 
 
 a British force, be perfectly impregnable to any 
 oriental army as long as provisions for the garrison 
 could be obtained. General Sale defended Jel- 
 lalabad, which possessed nothing like the advan- 
 tages, and was liable to ten times as great disad- 
 vantages as the Bala Hissar at Cabul, with a force 
 not more than one-fourth the strength of that 
 army, which retreated without making an attempt 
 at holding the latter. 
 
 A few days after we had taken possession of 
 Cabul, the gallant General Nott arrived with the 
 Candahar army. He had retaken the fortress 
 of Ghuznee, and beaten the enemy in several 
 obstinate engagements. Shortly after his arrival, 
 a division composed partly of his, and partly 
 of our army, was sent into Kohistan, under the 
 command of Major General M'Caskill. They 
 proceeded to IstalifF, where an Affghan army 
 of some strength was lying, and under guard 
 of which a vast number of the inhabitants of 
 Cabul had collected their families and valuables. 
 On summoning the Affghan general, he replied, 
 that so far from wishing to avoid an engagement, 
 he had intended to proceed to Cabul in order 
 to cut up all the Feringees there, and the division 
 
BATTLE OF ISTALIFF. 239 
 
 having advanced upon him, would save him the 
 trouble of going so far to annihilate them. An 
 engagement, of course, followed the gasconade of 
 this doughty hero. His army was utterly over- 
 thrown with immense slaughter, and the city 
 with an enormous quantity of valuables, such as 
 bales of cloth, silks, satins, and about four thou- 
 sand women and children fell into the hands 
 of M'Caskill's division. The brave Colonel Tay- 
 lor and his gallant corps, H.M. 9th covered them- 
 selves with glory, and their bright example was 
 emulated by the 26th regiment, N. I., which is 
 one of the best regiments in the Company's 
 army. 
 
 A guard was placed over the females and child- 
 ren, and they were as safely protected in the 
 European camp, as if they had been among their 
 own friends. Negociations were entered into 
 with one of the Affghan chiefs, to whom they 
 were all safely delivered over without ransom 
 of any kind. This moderation on our part must 
 have surprised our savage enemies, whose conduct 
 would have been so dissimilar had they gained 
 the day. The city itself was burned ; and there 
 being not sufficient carriage even for necessaries, 
 
240 HORSES AND FRUIT. 
 
 all the valuable plunder shared the same fate, 
 it being impossible to take it away. In about ten 
 or twelve days, the division marched back, and 
 joined us again at Cabul. 
 
 It was impossible to find out what were the in- 
 tentions of the General regarding this city. For 
 some days nothing was done, and the owners of 
 the shops in the chokes began again to display 
 their wares for sale. Quantities of horses and 
 fruit were also brought into our camp for the 
 same purpose. The Cabul ponies are very stout 
 and strong animals, and have a pleasant ambling 
 pace. They are very sure-footed among the hills, 
 and would almost climb up a ladder. On the 
 plains, however, they stumble dreadfully. The 
 horses are fine looking animals with great bone, 
 but are heavy and sluggish in their pace. Were 
 they crossed with the Arab, I have no doubt 
 that the progeny would be very fine. 
 
 The grapes which are grown at Cabul are, I 
 suppose, the finest in the world, both in flavour and 
 size. Apples and pears were also common enough, 
 and were greedily devoured by us, such fruit 
 not being obtainable in lower India ; but, com- 
 pared with those of England, they are the most 
 
BURSTING OF GUNS. 241 
 
 tasteless and insipid things imaginable. Eating 
 the apples always put me in mind of chewing 
 the pith of an elder tree. 
 
 Six iron nine-pounders having been found in 
 the Bala Hissar, it was determined to destroy 
 them, as they were not worth taking away ; and, 
 indeed, their immense weight would have ren- 
 dered it difficult to do so. Some of my readers 
 may probably wonder how heavy guns are de- 
 stroyed in the field, I shall, therefore, describe the 
 manner in which these were burst. They were 
 each loaded with, I believe, twenty pounds of 
 powder, on which were rammed two or three 
 round shot, and the muzzle of every gun was 
 then closely stopped up, by a plug of wood 
 driven into it. Six holes had been dug into the 
 earth in a line, deep enough to bury the guns, 
 muzzle downwards, as far as the touch-holes. 
 The cannons were placed in these, and the earth 
 firmly closed up all round them. They were 
 thus buried in a line in the ground with only 
 the breeches above the surface. A train having 
 been laid with a branch to the touch-hole of each, 
 it was fired by an officer who lighted a slow 
 match at the end of it, and then mounting his 
 
 M 
 
242 DESTRUCTION OF CABUL. 
 
 horse gallopped to a safe distance. When the 
 explosion took place, the guns were burst to 
 atoms. 
 
 After we had been at Cabul about a fortnight, a 
 force of four companies of the 31st regiment, and 
 of some detachments from the different native 
 corps, was ordered one evening to be in readiness to 
 march on the following morning into the city. The 
 object was not stated, but we could form a pretty 
 good idea of what we were to do, and the result 
 proved that our expectations were correct. We 
 proceeded the next morning, and blew up all the 
 principal chokes and bazaars where Sir W. 
 M'cNaghten's head and others had been exposed, 
 and set fire to the city in many places. The 
 houses were of course gutted in a very short 
 time, and bales of cloth, muslins, fur cloaks, 
 blankets, and wearing apparel of every descrip- 
 tion were turned out and destroyed. Quantities of 
 English belts and pouches, and a variety of other 
 articles which they had taken from Elphin- 
 stone's force were also discovered. Some of the 
 men found a number of English cases of hermeti- 
 cally sealed grouse, and other meats, on which, as 
 may be imagined, they had a fine feast. In blow- 
 
DESTRUCTION OF CABUL. 243 
 
 ing up the bazaars, some of our officers and men 
 received severe contusions from the falling beams. 
 
 We continued the work of destruction until 
 night closed upon us, and then returned to camp 
 tired enough. Many of our men looked just like 
 chimney-sweepers from the fire and smoke. On 
 succeeding days other parties were sent, and the 
 city of Cabul, with the exception of the Bala 
 Hissar, and the Kuzzilbash quarter, was utterly 
 destroyed and burned to the ground. An immense 
 deal of property was wasted ; but we could not 
 carry it away. The houses were nearly all built 
 of dry light wood, and when once a fire was 
 kindled it would have been impossible to stay 
 the ravaging element. The conflagration lasted 
 during the whole time we remained encamped in 
 the vicinity; and we still saw it when entering 
 the Koord Cabul pass, on our return. A large 
 mosque which the Affghans had built in honour 
 of their success over Elphin stone's army, and 
 called the Feringees' mosque, was also blown up 
 and destroyed. 
 
 The weather was now becoming piercingly cold 
 at nights, and on our nocturnal piquets we were 
 half frozen. The higher range of mountains 
 
 m 2 
 
244 APPROACH OF WINTER. 
 
 became white crested, and thick black clouds 
 hovering overhead gave token that winter was 
 fast approaching, and warned us to depart before 
 the passes were again filled with snow. In AfF- 
 gbanistan, the transition from summer to winter 
 takes place almost by magic. In one night, per- 
 haps, suddenly the snow falls, and the season and 
 whole face of the country are altogether changed. 
 Winter of the severest and most rigorous kind at 
 once succeeds a hot summer. 
 
 We were all anxiously enough looking for orders 
 to retrace our steps now that we had done all that 
 lay in our power to punish the Affghans for their 
 treachery to our unfortunate countrymen. An 
 unwearied career of success had marked our 
 march on Cabul. One blow of the British lion's 
 paw had, as it were, changed the whole aspect 
 of affairs over which our enemies had so lately 
 rejoiced. The prisoners in their hands had all 
 been rescued in safety ; every city they possessed 
 had been taken and destroyed ; and Akbar Khan 
 himself, the master-spirit of the whole nation, 
 was a fugitive, with a price upon his head, and 
 with scarcely a single follower. But a few months 
 before, and how different was the state of our 
 
DIFFERENCE OF POSITION. 245 
 
 affairs ! An army beaten at all points, and utterly- 
 annihilated; all the fortresses, with one exception, 
 which we had taken, again in the hands of the 
 enemy, and that solitary post but weakly garri- 
 soned, and besieged by a large army under Akbar 
 Khan himself. Add to this, the independent 
 natives of lower India were looking on the opera- 
 tions of our relieving army with anxious suspense, 
 and stood ready, the moment they should hear 
 of our suffering the slightest repulse, to pounce 
 upon the dominions of the now no longer invinci- 
 ble Feringees, which the formation of our army 
 had absolutely drained of soldiers. 
 
 Our successes turned the scale, and produced 
 the greatest moral effect on the natives. They 
 now saw, that however the sun of our prosperity 
 might be obscured by adverse clouds, yet surely 
 would its beams again break forth with additional 
 splendour from the dark chaos in which it had, for 
 a brief period, been obscured. 
 
246 FATAL SECURITY. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 General Elphinstone's retreat Errors committed Dr. 
 Brydon His perilous escape General Pollock issues 
 orders to retrograde Difficulties of the march The 
 Koord Cabul pass Conveyance of an Affghan trophy 
 Narrow escape of a courier Jugdulluck Engagement 
 with the Affghans Luxurious repast Gundamuck 
 Futtiabad J ellalabad. 
 
 It is difficult for any person, who has been in 
 Affghanistan and seen anything of its people, to 
 imagine how any set of men could have pro- 
 posed the retreat of our unfortunate force, or coun- 
 selled the plans by which it was preceded. It 
 would scarcely be supposed that while the army 
 was encamped outside the town, the provisions 
 and stores of every kind were kept in magazines 
 
FATAL SECURITY. 247 
 
 almost without guard in the centre of the city, 
 absolutely placed, by the fatal security in which 
 the British leaders were lulled, in the very grasp 
 of a crafty and warlike enemy. How the AfFghans 
 themselves must have ridiculed the credulity 
 which gave them such a chance ! We call them 
 barbarians would they have been guilty of such 
 folly? 
 
 When the AfFghans took advantage of the 
 temptation which was placed in their way, what 
 did the British leaders do ? 
 
 Any one would imagine that having been op- 
 posed by no regular army, but merely by the 
 hostile population of a city which had not struck 
 a blow in its defence when first captured, it would 
 have been no very difficult matter for a British 
 force to retake the stores at once, and, by shooting 
 some hundreds of the insurgents, at one blow 
 to put an end to the insurrection. Or, if the 
 force was not sufficient to have crushed the re- 
 bellion in the bud, what hindered their throwing 
 themselves into the Bala Hissar, and seizing all 
 the provisions in the city, which were ample, 
 and would have enabled them to have held 
 out until the snow melting from the passes, 
 
248 ERRORS COMMITTED. 
 
 might open a way for reinforcements : or failing 
 that, by which they themselves might retreat with 
 no great loss ? General Sale and his gallant band 
 retreated through the same passes, a little earlier 
 in the season, without a very severe loss, although 
 constituting not more than a fourth part of the 
 number of the Cabul army, and throughout 
 opposed to the fierce assaults of the AfFghans. 
 The soldiers of the force which were annihilated, 
 were of the same quality as General Sale's, and 
 would have done as much had they had the same 
 commanders. But Sale, Denny and Monteath 
 were hosts in themselves, for however trying the 
 circumstances, the troops under them felt confi- 
 dence in their leaders, whom they knew to be equal 
 to any emergency. 
 
 There was one plan, which any person of sense 
 might foresee, would doom the whole force to de- 
 struction. It was, without striking a blow for 
 the recovery of their stores, to attempt a retreat 
 through passes choked up by snow, without 
 food, without ammunition, or the means of carry- 
 ing it, and where even were it to be had, the cold 
 was so intense as to prevent the troops from 
 using their arms with any effect. This was the plan 
 
THE DISASTROUS RETREAT. 249 
 
 which the leaders determined to adopt. We can 
 only ascribe their determination to insanity. The 
 man who throws himself from the monument is but 
 equally deranged, and his madness only destroys 
 himself, while unfortunately that of the British 
 leaders destroyed thousands of men who, had 
 they been better led, would have beaten any force 
 the ArTghans could have brought against them. 
 How many brave and talented officers, alas ! were 
 in this unfortunate affair lost to their country, 
 and how bitter must their reflections have been, 
 while the work of disorder and destruction was 
 going on, that they were sacrificed by the down- 
 right folly of those who were so totally unfit to 
 command them ! 
 
 The catastrophe forms a dark page in the 
 history of England's glory ; but the brilliancy of 
 the succeeding operations has thrown a halo round 
 it, by which the gloom is more than partially dis- 
 pelled. 
 
 The sufferings of the unfortunate army, while 
 attempting to force a retreat, were unparalleled. 
 Dr. Brydon's account of the miseries they expe- 
 rienced was enough to make the most stony heart 
 bleed. The feet and hands, he said, of the unfor- 
 
 M 3 
 
250 THE DISASTROUS RETREAT. 
 
 tunate sepoys being completely frost-bitten, looked 
 like pieces of burnt wood ; and the idea of their 
 using their arras was a farce, for they could not 
 use their limbs, but were cut down without the 
 possibility of resistance. They dropped and died 
 by hundreds in the road ; and, when morning broke 
 on the bivouacs of the wretched army, hundreds 
 of little hillocks in the snow, marked where as 
 many brave men lying down to rest their wearied 
 limbs had found their graves under the cold 
 winding sheet in which during the night the icy 
 winter had enveloped them. A soldier of the 
 44th who had been on the retreat, informed me 
 that, being wounded and lying in the road, he heard 
 Akbar Khan tell his men not to blunt their knives 
 upon the Hindostanees, as they were sure of dying 
 of cold, but to follow up the Europeans like blood- 
 hounds, and give them not a moment's rest until 
 they were fairly worn out and destroyed, to a man. 
 The army, although without food, and having 
 lost nearly two-thirds of its numbers, preserved 
 some appearance of organization, until they arrived 
 at Jugdulluck. The enemy were hot on their 
 heels in resistless force, and Generals Elphinstone 
 and Shelton with some other officers, who had 
 

 THE DISASTROUS RETREAT. 251 
 
 proceeded to a fort to hold a conference with 
 Akbar Khan, for the purpose of trying by some 
 convention to avert the horrors which were going 
 on, were detained by him as prisoners. To this 
 circumstance they owed their lives, which would 
 otherwise have inevitably been lost. 
 
 The command now devolved upon Brigadier 
 Anquetil, who fell gallantly fighting at the head 
 of the soldiers, who most nobly rallied under him. 
 Had he earlier succeeded to the command, and 
 had his life been spared, the results might have 
 been different. In the narrowest part of the Jug- 
 dulluck pass, the soldiers maintained some order, 
 but the camp followers, being seized with a panic, 
 made a rush to the front and again to the rear, and 
 being very numerous they became mixed up with 
 the men, many of whom were trodden down and 
 destroyed. From that moment, the rout became 
 general, and it was no longer a fight but a mas- 
 sacre. Some of the Europeans of the greatest 
 physical strength and power of endurance, with a 
 few officers, among whom was the gallant Captain 
 Souter, still kept together, and although without 
 ammunition and having been destitute of food for 
 some days, they made their way two marches far- 
 
252 DR. BRYDON'S ESCAPE. 
 
 ther until near Gundamuck, when they were all, 
 with one or two exceptions, destroyed by number- 
 less fresh tribes who attacked them. These men 
 must have made a fearful struggle for their lives. 
 It was wonderful to look upon the passes, and 
 difficult to believe that human beings could have 
 borne up against their accumulated miseries so 
 long. What would not such soldiers have effected 
 had they been ably commanded ! No enterprise 
 would have been too arduous, no attempt too 
 desperate for them. 
 
 Dr. Brydon himself owed his life to the gene- 
 rosity of a native of Hindostan. His horse had 
 been shot under him, and at the time of the utter 
 disorganization of the force, he was making the 
 best of his way on foot along the road, when he 
 was accosted by an old subadar* who was bleeding 
 by the side of the path, but with one hand holding 
 the bridle of his horse which stood beside him. 
 " Sahib," said this noble fellow, " my hour has 
 come : I am wounded to death and can ride no 
 longer. You, however, still have a chance, take 
 my horse which is now useless to me, and God 
 
 * A native officer of a sepoy regiment. 
 
DR. BRYDON'S ESCAPE. 253 
 
 send you may get into Jellalabad in safety." 
 Brydon mounted the horse which was shortly 
 afterwards shot through the loins, while his 
 sword was broken by a large stone hurled at 
 him by a Ghilzee. While in this condition, he 
 was attackedby an Affghan horseman who wounded 
 him in several places. The poor fellow was quite 
 overpowered by fatigue, starvation, and loss of 
 blood, and he fell forward on the pummel of his 
 saddle at which were holsters, but no pistols. The 
 cowardly Affghan, however, mistaking his move- 
 ment, believed he was going to draw a pistol, and 
 wheeling round his horse galloped away with all 
 speed. The Doctor, now relieved from his enemy, 
 had still sufficient endurance and courage left to 
 determine to make every effort to push on. His 
 wretched nag, sorely wounded, could scarcely go 
 out of a shuffling trot, and he himself was barely 
 able to sit in the saddle. Wonderful to relate, 
 after twenty hair-breadth escapes, he succeeded in 
 reaching Jellalabad, where he had no sooner arrived 
 than the poor animal, which had been the means 
 of saving him, dropped down dead. Had this 
 occurred an hour or two before, he must have 
 been lost, for walk he could not. Strange also 
 
254 DR. BRYDON'S ESCAPE. 
 
 was it, that many officers and men riding on 
 capital horses passed him on the road ; and yet he, 
 so wretchedly mounted, was the only one who 
 got in. The determination and persevering firm- 
 ness which he displayed are worthy of the greatest 
 credit. It is in situations like these that we find 
 out what men are made of. 
 
 About the middle of October, the expected 
 orders to retrograde were issued by General Pol- 
 lock. A division under the command of General 
 Sale was ordered to proceed, without baggage, over 
 the hills by a mountain path, by which they would 
 be enabled to turn the Koord Cabul pass, and take 
 possession of the heights. The succeeding day 
 our division followed, having in charge a most 
 enormous train of baggage. I never shall forget 
 the confusion caused on leaving our encamping 
 ground, the numerous camels and other baggage- 
 animals being jammed in the narrow road, on 
 either side of which was a morass. By some 
 mismanagement, they had been allowed to get 
 ahead of the column, and the delay, heat and dust, 
 were intolerable. It was several hours before we 
 could proceed on our way. At last, we managed 
 to get through the press, and proceeding on our 
 
THE KOORD CABUL PASS. 255 
 
 march, encamped in the evening near Bootkak, 
 about three miles from the pass of Koord Ca- 
 bul. 
 
 I was on piquet that night, and fully ex- 
 pected an attack ; but, with the exception of a few 
 shots fired at the sentries, all was quiet. The 
 next day I was again on the rear-guard through 
 the Koord Cabul pass, and a most fatiguing day 
 we had of it, with the baggage of two divisions to 
 protect and keep together. In addition to this 
 were about forty pieces of brass artillery which 
 we had captured, and which were to be taken 
 to India as trophies. About two thousand crip- 
 ples who had been found in Cabul, and who had 
 been sepoys and camp followers with Elphin- 
 stone's army, were also with us, mounted on 
 elephants, jackasses, bullocks, and every beast of 
 burden which we had been able to procure for 
 them. The unfortunate wretches had all lost 
 their feet or hands from frost bites, and had sub- 
 sisted after the departure of the army by begging 
 from the inhabitants of Cabul. They would on 
 our arrival in India be pensioned by a large sub- 
 scription, which had been raised for the purpose 
 among the European residents. The sepoys 
 
256 A TROPHY GUN. 
 
 were entitled, in addition, to a pension from the 
 East India Company. 
 
 Sale's division kept the heights until the main 
 column of our division had defiled through the 
 pass, when they were relieved by our men. It 
 was late in the evening when the rear-guard 
 reached the encamping ground, in the valley 
 of Koord Cabul; and when I went to my tent 
 I found I was the only officer in camp. The 
 whole regiment was on the heights, from which 
 it took them some hours to descend. 
 
 In consequence of the pass having been turned, 
 we were not molested on this march, and during 
 the night we were also tolerably quiet. The 
 next day I was with the main-column, and for 
 my sins, I suppose, was ordered with a sub-divi- 
 sion of my company to take charge of, and get into 
 camp at Tezeen, a large brass twenty-four poun- 
 der howitzer, which was one of the trophies. 
 Lieutenant Pollard had likewise charge of a gun 
 with the other sub- division. Never shall I forget 
 the purgatory through which I had to pass in 
 getting this vile piece of ordnance to the encamp- 
 ing ground. To drag it I had four half-starved 
 oxen, the most self-willed and obstinate of brutes. 
 
A TROPHY GUN. 257 
 
 They had never been accustomed to a yoke ; and 
 even had they been so, it would have required at 
 least a dozen of them to drag such a heavy cannon 
 properly. 
 
 To add to my distresses, I had no bullock- 
 drivers, but two classies* were ordered for that 
 duty, who knew as much of the art of bullock- 
 driving, as I did of playing the fiddle. The ob- 
 stinate oxen had as mortal an aversion to Euro- 
 peans as their countrymen the Affghans ; and 
 whenever the soldiers came near they charged 
 at them most furiously. It was about half an 
 hour before I got them to start at all, and I 
 only then managed it by making some of the 
 soldiers get behind them and twist their tails, 
 while the classies stood at their heads and be- 
 laboured them with bamboos, giving utterance at 
 the same time to the most vituperative abuse, to 
 which the men in the rear added a little gentle 
 persuasion with the points of their bayonets. 
 
 After a few plunges and kicks, off they went at 
 a great rate, with their tails erect in the air. We 
 kept them at it by means of an occasional dig 
 
 * Native tent-pitchers. 
 
258 A TROPHY GUN. 
 
 with the goads we had found so effective, but, 
 as we had no means of guiding them, they soon 
 got off the road, and were brought up by some 
 rocks. My men had to set to work and drag the 
 gun back into the path, and the former scene was 
 again enacted until we arrived at the Huft Kotul, 
 from which there is a terrific descent by a narrow 
 and winding path, covered with large loose 
 masses of stone. I had no drag ropes, and 
 how to get the gun down I could not tell. I 
 was fairly puzzled, until one of the men sug- 
 gested, that as we had no drag ropes to hold 
 on by, we should fasten the oxen behind the 
 gun, and letting it run down the slope, the 
 cattle pulling behind would prevent its going 
 down too fast, in which case the carriage would 
 be broken to pieces. No sooner said than done. 
 There were no other means to be pursued, and 
 accordingly we took the animals from the front, 
 and hooking them on behind, started the gun 
 happy-go-lucky down the precipitous descent. 
 For some time it went steadily enough ; the oxen 
 pulling manfully against the weight which was 
 dragging them down backwards. In a short time, 
 however, the slope became more abrupt, the gun 
 

 A TROPHY GUN. 259 
 
 increased its speed, and at last, the oxen losing 
 their footing, it thundered like an avalanche down 
 the hill amid a cloud of dust and a shower of 
 falling stones, and throwing the unfortunate ani- 
 mals out of the yokes, arrived at the bottom 
 with a crash that might have been heard a mile 
 off, and ran with the velocity which it had ac- 
 quired in its descent, like a self-acting engine, 
 for about a hundred yards along the road below. 
 
 Nothing was broken ; the carriage being fortu- 
 nately made excessively strong. Had it not been 
 so I never could have got the gun into camp, not 
 having been able to procure any of the necessary 
 tackle. We had several such descents to make, 
 which we accomplished in the same manner ; 
 while on the corresponding ascents the gun was 
 pushed up by the soldiers behind, the bullocks pull- 
 ing in front. The whole day had passed, and night 
 was closing in, when I arrived with my treasure 
 at the last descent. As bad luck would have it, 
 this time the gun ran off the road, when nearly at 
 the bottom of the hill, and upset in a ravine. We 
 were now in a pretty mess, and to add to our 
 comfort, a body of the enemy, who had been 
 watching our motions from the hills, began firing 
 
260 TEZEEN. 
 
 on us. Fortunately, the howitzer had upset 
 behind some rising ground, which protected my 
 men ; but the bullets kept whistling over our heads 
 as thick as hail while we were endeavouring 
 to get the gun again on its wheels and in the 
 road. We effected this in less time than I could 
 have hoped, and had now a comparatively level 
 road through the Tezeen pass into the encamping 
 ground in the valley. We arrived there at about 
 ten o'clock at night ; but the main column and 
 rear-guard did not get in until past twelve, having 
 sustained a sharp fight in the pass, where they 
 had been attacked in the darkness by the enemy 
 in great force, with the hope of being able to 
 plunder the baggage. The Affghans were re- 
 pulsed with great loss, without being able to 
 obtain possession of a single baggage animal. 
 
 General Nott, who commanded the rear-divi- 
 sion, had a severe engagement here ; but, as usual, 
 the enemy were completely defeated. The staunch 
 old warrior, however, was obliged to burst his 
 eighteen-pounder guns, which he had brought up 
 with him from Candahar, and which he boasted 
 he would take back through the passes. He did 
 not then know what the passes were, having 
 
TEZEEN. 261 
 
 advanced to Cabul by a comparatively level coun- 
 try. General Pollock had acted more wisely, 
 having burst two which had been handed over to 
 him by General Nott, at Cabul. General Nott 
 got his two to Tezeen, but found it impossible to 
 take them further. I heard he was in marvellous 
 ill-humour at being obliged to destroy them. Had 
 it been possible to take them on, he was the man 
 to do it. 
 
 In the Tezeen pass one of the officers of Nott's 
 force picked up, among several others, a letter 
 directed to me. The cossid * who was carrying 
 the dak had been intercepted and murdered by the 
 enemy, who had thrown away the letters as useless. 
 By the date, I found it must have been lying there 
 for nearly a month. 
 
 The recollection of the next days 5 march will 
 always affect me with a feeling of sorrow, for it 
 cost me a dear friend poor Pender of the 31st 
 regiment. He was as noble a fellow and as brave 
 an officer as ever held Her Majesty's commission. 
 We had been most intimate, and at one time 
 lived together. I was subaltern in the company 
 
 * Courier. 
 
262 A SKIRMISH. 
 
 which he commanded for a long time, and only- 
 left it to take the command of another. We were 
 engaged with the same party of the enemy, although 
 on different hills, when he fell. 
 
 Both our companies were with the main 
 column ; and, as we proceeded along the road which 
 although tolerably wide is commanded by heights 
 on each side within gunshot, parties were detached 
 and stationed on different points, in order to 
 prevent the enemy from molesting the train of 
 baggage which was in our rear. 
 
 I was sent to take possession of, and retain 
 until the baggage had passed, a small hill on the 
 left of the road. A large body of Affghans had 
 showed themselves on a second range of heights 
 which commanded the lower ones on the side of 
 the road. Fortunately, there were a number of 
 large rocks on the summit of that of which I took 
 possession, behind which my men were so effec- 
 tually covered that I lost none, although the 
 enemy kept up a pretty sharp fire on us, which 
 we returned whenever we could get a glimpse of 
 their turbans above the sungahs, behind which 
 they had ensconced themselves. 
 
 Poor Pender was not so fortunate. He was 
 
A SKIRMISH. 26.3 
 
 sent up the next hill from my position, and was 
 most hotly fired on by the Affghans during his 
 ascent. He persevered, however, and arrived at 
 the summit, which was completely commanded 
 by the second range of which I have before spoken, 
 and to take possession of which was rendered 
 impossible by the precipices that intervened. 
 There was no cover, and shortly after a corporal of 
 Pender's company was shot dead ; another running 
 to pick him up was mortally wounded, and almost 
 immediately afterwards the gallant Pender himself 
 received a ball on his right shoulder, which passed 
 through him, and came out on his left side near 
 the waist. 
 
 The shot knocked him some distance down the 
 hill, and the soldiers thinking he was killed ran 
 and picked him up. When they found he was 
 not dead, but severely wounded, they wished to 
 carry him into camp. The brave fellow, however, 
 would not leave his post, but ordered them to lay 
 him down on a bank near the top of the mountain. 
 After a short time he became quite stiff, and 
 some of the men took him down the hill and 
 carried him into camp, while his company, under 
 the command of a sergeant, retained their post 
 
264 A SKIRMISH. 
 
 until the baggage had passed, after having dis- 
 lodged the enemy from their position by a well- 
 directed and steady fire. They met with some 
 more casualties in performing this service, but I 
 do not remember the number. 
 
 As soon as I got into camp, I hastened to 
 Pender's tent. His wound had just been dressed, 
 and he was in excellent spirits, only regretting 
 that he had been unable to get at close quarters 
 with the enemy, and that he was disabled from 
 leading his company through the Kyber pass, 
 where we expected to have a severe action, as it 
 was hardly to be expected that the Affghans would 
 let us depart through so difficult an outlet, without 
 having a parting fling at us for doing so much 
 mischief in their country. 
 
 Although Pender was a man of most athletic 
 form, and of powerful constitution, he could not 
 rally from the effects of the severe wound he had 
 received, but died within a month. Thus in a 
 paltry skirmish an officer was lost to the service, 
 who possessed every requisite qualification for 
 deeds of the most brilliant character. His mind 
 bore up to the last, and it was only his undaunted 
 courage that kept him alive so long. 
 
A NARROW ESCAPE. 265 
 
 We were encamped at a place called Seerbaba, 
 which we had passed on our advance upon Cabul, 
 without halting. It was during this march and 
 the next, which I have before described as hav- 
 ing been made in one day, that I was with the 
 rear-guard under the command of the gallant 
 Major Skinner. The encamping ground is of a 
 singular character, being a small circular valley 
 which, surrounded by heights, appears on looking 
 down from them, to resemble the interior of a 
 gigantic punch-bowl. It was, of course, necessary 
 to have strong piquets posted on the heights, 
 from which the enemy might have greatly annoyed 
 us during the night. Captain Baldwin saved the 
 life of a poor courier in a most singular manner 
 at this place. He was ordered for piquet with 
 his company, and, on arriving at the summit of the 
 hill to which he was posted, they came suddenly 
 upon two AfFghans who had another man down 
 on the ground between them, and were preparing 
 to cut his throat. They were too much engaged 
 in their pleasant occupation to heed the approach 
 of the soldiers, who immediately fired at the 
 rascals and knocked them over. The poor devil 
 who had been in their power came running up 
 
 N 
 
266 A NARROW ESCAPE. 
 
 with the most vehement expressions of grati- 
 tude to his rescuers. He informed them that he 
 was a Cossidj who had been intercepted by the 
 two ruffians who were shot, and at the moment 
 when Captain Baldwin and his party appeared 
 they had a knife at his throat; one moment later, 
 and it would doubtless have been cut most effec- 
 tually, the Affghans never doing such things by 
 halves. 
 
 The next day, the whole of the 31st regiment 
 was ordered for the rear-guard under the command 
 of Colonel Bolton. The enemy attacked the 
 piquets when they were withdrawn pretty sharply 
 as they descended from the heights. They did 
 not, however, venture to come down, and we were 
 unmolested below. Owing to the steepness of the 
 hills over which we had to drag the guns, the march 
 was tiresome and fatiguing. The half- starved 
 horses could scarcely move, and the wretched con- 
 dition of the worn-out camels obliged us to shoot 
 them by scores as they dropped down by the way. 
 The property with which they were loaded was, of 
 course, burned to prevent its falling into the hands 
 of the enemy. 
 
 We arrived at Kuttasung rather late in the 
 
JUGDULLUCK. 267 
 
 evening, desperately tired ; and the enemy were 
 good-natured enough to leave us alone during the 
 night. The fact was, they had been so constantly 
 beaten with heavy loss in all their attempts on us 
 that they began to lose heart, and allowed us to 
 pass through places unopposed, where they might 
 have seriously obstructed our progress without 
 much loss to themselves. 
 
 The next day we arrived at Jugdulluck again, 
 without opposition, although the enemy occasion- 
 ally shewed themselves far out of our reach on 
 the heights, apparently watching our motions with 
 great interest. We knew pretty well that they 
 would have a slap at us next day in the pass, 
 and got ourselves ready for work. We were not 
 deceived in our expectations, for an action took 
 place, which, for its duration, was nearly as sharp 
 as any in which we had been engaged. 
 
 During the night, the enemy were pretty quiet, 
 only amusing themselves by firing a few desultory 
 shots at the piquets, for the benevolent purpose, 
 it may be presumed, of keeping them awake on 
 their posts, lest they might be surprised. 
 
 In the morning, I was ordered with my company 
 as a guard over the guns, and had an opportunity 
 
 N 2 
 
263 THE JUGDULLUCK PASS. 
 
 of seeing Captain Alexander of the horse artillery 
 make some exceedingly pretty shots. This officer 
 was an excellent marksman, and I had before on 
 several occasions had the pleasure of seeing him 
 knock over many of the enemy with some well-di- 
 rected shells dropped nicely in among their masses. 
 The advanced guard passed through the defile, 
 having without a great deal of opposition detached 
 parties on different points of the heights. Our 
 numbers were, however, too small to be able to 
 do more than keep possession of a few of the most 
 essential. The main column with which I was, 
 followed closely after them, occasionally halting 
 on the march to throw a shrapnel shot at the 
 enemy, whenever they showed themselves. The 
 AfFghans remained almost inactive, until the rear- 
 guard appeared in the pass, when they attacked 
 them most furiously, in the expectation, no doubt, 
 of getting a good haul at the baggage which they 
 escorted. Many and desperate were the attacks 
 which they made on the long line of camels; but, 
 owing to the judicious positions in which parties 
 had been detached in various parts along the pass, 
 from the advanced guard and main column, they 
 were repulsed in all their attempts with great loss. 
 
THE JUGDULLUCK PASS. 269 
 
 The artillery pushing on by the direction of 
 Brigadier Monteath, emerged from the pass, and 
 obtained possession of the raised plateau of ground 
 at the mouth of the gorge. This I have before 
 mentioned as being the site so judiciously chosen 
 by the same commander for strengthening the 
 rear-guard, by halting the main column and ef- 
 fecting a junction for the protection of the train of 
 baggage on our advance some weeks before. 
 From this position, the guns were brought to bear 
 upon the enemy, and did great execution among 
 them. They still obstinately contested the fight, 
 until the baggage train was safely through the 
 pass. Finding they had no chance left of getting 
 anything but hard knocks from the gallant rear- 
 guard, and, having already experienced a heavy 
 loss, they then gave up the day without having 
 obtained possession of a single article of baggage. 
 We continued our march without farther opposi- 
 tion. Occasionally a bullet or two would whistle 
 over the column, and a few casualties occurred, 
 but nothing of any consequence ; and just as it was 
 getting dark that evening we arrived at Soorkab, 
 where we encamped. 
 
 I was sent on piquet to a high hill some dis- 
 
270 A TREAT. 
 
 tance from the camp, as soon as we got in, without 
 having time to obtain anything to eat, although 
 I had tasted nothing since the preceding day. 
 
 We were, however, so accustomed to constant 
 privations, that we esteemed ourselves especially 
 lucky if we got one meal in twenty-four hours. 
 I now often thought how I used to grumble and 
 scold my servants in cantonments if they were 
 five minutes late in preparing my tiffin, or dinner, 
 and how little I then imagined that I should know 
 what it was to be unable to procure food, excepting 
 in the smallest quantities, and of the worst des- 
 cription, for days together. 
 
 I had saved a bottle of port wine from my 
 stock, with the determination of drinking the same 
 to the good health of the AfFghans when I should 
 get safely through the Kyber pass, on our return. 
 My determination of not drinking it, however, 
 until then, had, like Bob Acre's courage, been daily 
 oozing away. I began to consider that I might be 
 knocked over before I could get through, and then 
 I should never have the satisfaction of enjoying it 
 at all. Captain N , who was on piquet with 
 me, suggested that it would be a remarkably good 
 opportunity of drinking it, after having come safely 
 
A TREAT. 271 
 
 through the Jugdulluck, as perhaps I might not 
 have such good luck again. Accordingly, I sent 
 down for it, and one of my servants bringing me a 
 plate of mutton chops from the mess, N and 
 I sat down and discussed this treat, and gladdened 
 the hearts of some soldiers, who had been very 
 attentive in clearing away the stones from the 
 place on which we purposed sleeping, by a glass 
 each of the inspiriting beverage. 
 
 Talk of luxuries, I never in my life experienced 
 so great a one as I found in this glass of wine 
 and plate of tough chops, while I sat shivering 
 near our watch-fire on the cold hill-side, weary, 
 hungry, and exhausted. I was in better humour 
 after it than I had been during the whole cam- 
 paign ; and, as the Affghans did not molest us, I 
 slept most soundly, and woke next morning 
 refreshed and with a light heart from my hard bed. 
 
 I was again on the rear-guard, and although 
 various parties of Affghans showed themselves 
 upon the heights, they made no attempts at hos- 
 tilities, and we arrived without opposition at 
 Gundamuck, where a force had been left in an 
 entrenched camp, when we marched on to Cabul. 
 
 Neither letter nor intelligence of any kind had 
 
272 FUTTIABAD. 
 
 reached me during our absence, with the exception 
 of that found in the Tezeen pass. A packet, 
 however, awaited me here of most portentous 
 bulk. There were about thirty letters in it, and 
 I was really quite at a loss which to peruse first. 
 With great perseverance, however, I managed to 
 get through all of them, and they supplied me 
 with reading for a week. I used to amuse myself 
 on an outpost by decyphering the crossed and 
 recrossed lines, with which the well-filled sheets 
 were covered, and shortened many a weary hour 
 in this employment. 
 
 The following day's march brought us again to 
 Futtiabad, where we had buried poor Marshall 
 on our onward march. One or two officers of 
 Elphinstone's army got down as far as this village, 
 after that unfortunate force was destroyed, but were 
 cut up by the inhabitants. General Sale's troops 
 used these fellows rather roughly when en route to 
 Jellalabad. The Affghans allowed the advance and 
 main-column to pass unmolested, but when the 
 rear-guard made its appearance they attacked it in 
 force. The officer commanding, finding the rough 
 and broken ground near the village exceedingly 
 unfavourable for the movement of his men, affected 
 
A RUSE DE GUERRE. 273 
 
 to retreat in a most disorderly manner. This ruse 
 had the desired effect. The Affghans followed the 
 troops which they thought were flying from them, 
 to a considerable distance from the village, and 
 across a fine plain, very favourable for the move- 
 ments of horse. No sooner had they come so 
 far, than a troop of cavalry, which formed part 
 of the rear-guard, making a dash, got in the rear of 
 the enemy, completely cutting them off from their 
 village and the cover of the ravines surrounding 
 it. The infantry also forming up in their front, 
 the deluded Affghans found themselves regularly 
 in a trap, and immediately fell into the greatest 
 disorder; in endeavouring to escape, the plain 
 was covered with the fugitives. The cavalry rode 
 among them in every direction, hacking and hew- 
 ing right and left with their long sabres, while the 
 infantry kept up a most destructive fire. The 
 exact loss which the enemy suffered I never 
 heard ; but an officer who was an eye-witness 
 informed me that the plain was absolutely 
 covered with dead. The troopers cut them 
 down until from fatigue they could scarcely 
 raise their arms. General Sale's troops have 
 always done pretty good execution when the 
 
 N 3 
 
274 A FEAST. 
 
 enemy have had the hardihood to attack them, 
 but never did the foe receive a severer lesson 
 than on this occasion. 
 
 To Char Bagh was the next day's march, and 
 we accomplished it without molestation of any 
 kind. There is nothing remarkable in this en- 
 campment. On the following morning, we reached 
 Jellalabad, and encamped on the further side of 
 the fort, about two miles from the site of our 
 former long standing camp. The officer who had 
 been left in charge of our invalids at this place, had 
 provided a most sumptuons breakfast for all the 
 officers of the 31st. Immediately, therefore, after 
 dismissing our respective companies, we proceeded 
 
 in a body to B 's hospitable tent, where 
 
 whole hecatombs of grilled fowls, mutton-chops, 
 and beef-steaks, and seas of tea and coffee smok- 
 ing hot, sent up their savoury steams to heaven. 
 Whence he had managed to collect such a quan- 
 tity of provision, was a riddle to every body ; but 
 there it was, and a hearty welcome with it. Of 
 plates, knifes, and forks, there were few or none, 
 but we had been long enough on short commons 
 not to feel particularly fastidious on that score. 
 A fowl was easily divided by four persons re- 
 
SILVER MEDALS. 275 
 
 spectively seizing the wings and legs, and by a 
 simultaneous pull quartering the unhappy biped. 
 Mutton-chops were devoured by the dozen, 
 and eggs by the score, by each of the guests, 
 until they could fairly hold no more, and were 
 obliged to give in, with many an affectionate 
 glance, nevertheless, on the bountiful supply of 
 delicacies which remained uneaten, and to the 
 like of which we had so long been strangers. 
 
 We also had the gratification of receiving a 
 large packet of newspapers from India at this 
 place. In them we read the accounts of our own 
 feats, and the eulogiums pronounced on our 
 success by the good people in lower India. The 
 Governor-General spared no praise in his address 
 to the army, and an order was passed for every 
 individual who had been through this campaign 
 to receive a silver medal, to be worn at the left 
 breast, and bearing on one side the word " Vin- 
 dex," and on the other "Cabul, 1842." The 
 ribbon was to be of a variety of hues, blended 
 together, in order, as we heard, to be emblematic 
 of the rising sun. This distinction will of course 
 be much prized by every individual; and more 
 especially by the young soldiers, who receiving at 
 
276 SILVER MEDALS. 
 
 the commencement of their military career, a pow- 
 erful spur to their ambition, will be induced to 
 spare no effort hereafter to distinguish themselves 
 in their honourable profession. I heard many of 
 our men say that they would much rather receive 
 the medal than any sum of money which could be 
 given to them. The medals have not yet been 
 issued ; but, doubtless, the Government will spare 
 no pains to reward the good conduct of their 
 troops, by the speedy distribution of the dis- 
 tinction so much coveted, and so well deserved. 
 
DESTRUCTION OF JELLALABAD. 277 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 Destruction of Jellalabad Passage of the Choota Kyber 
 The Kyber pass A forced march Peshawur The Pun- 
 jab Mortality among the soldiers The triumphal arch 
 Arrival at Ferozepore A dak trip A storm Difficulties 
 by the way Drunken Seiks Arrival at Meerut. 
 
 After four days' halt at Jellalabad, the fort 
 and town were, according to orders, set fire to, 
 and totally destroyed. Large quantities of gun- 
 powder had been placed under the bastions, and 
 other places of strength, and the sight of the 
 immense conflagration at night was awfully grand. 
 Ever and anon, as the fire reached one of the 
 mines, a vast pillar of flame would be thrown 
 high up in the air, shaking the earth under our 
 feet with the concussion, and lighting up the 
 
278 DESTRUCTION OF JELLALABAD. 
 
 landscape for miles around, showing the gloomy 
 hills which surrounded us, seemingly looking at 
 the work of destruction with threatening aspect. 
 Suddenly all would again be dark ; and showers 
 of falling beams, large stones, and other rubbish, 
 which had been driven up high into the air 
 by the explosions, would be heard rattling in 
 every direction on the ground. 
 
 Jellalabad was totally destroyed. Doubtless, 
 the Affghans will spare no pains to repair the 
 damages done by us to this important stronghold, 
 but years must elapse before a city can again spring 
 up from the heap of ruins which we left. 
 
 Our outposts and sentries were fired upon 
 pretty sharply during this night, as the destruc- 
 tion of their dwellings probably stirred up the 
 bile of the Affghans in the vicinity. No loss, 
 however, of any consequence was sustained, and 
 the next morning we marched to Ali Boghan, now 
 feeling that we were really on our return, after 
 having got through the greater part of our work. 
 We did not anticipate any opposition until we 
 arrived at the Kyber pass, the country which 
 intervened being of a comparatively easy and 
 level character, in which the Affghans in their 
 
A SUICIDE. 279 
 
 reduced state, could make no attempts on us, 
 that would not result in the complete annihila- 
 tion of their force. 
 
 During the next day's march one of our men 
 shot himself. The poor fellow was knocked up 
 with the hardships and privations he had endured, 
 and, in a fit of melancholy, partaking of derange- 
 ment, determined to stand it no longer. He told 
 some of his comrades that he would destroy 
 himself; but they thought that if he really in- 
 tended to do so he would have said nothing about 
 it. However, he obtained leave from an officer 
 to leave the ranks for a short time, and, sitting 
 down on a stone by the road, he put the muzzle 
 of his musket to his breast, and pulling the trigger 
 with his foot, having first taken off his boot to 
 enable him to do so, he killed himself in an 
 instant. This man was not badly off. He left 
 a considerable sum of money in government se- 
 curities ; and certainly no one ever suspected him 
 of being likely to commit so rash an act. 
 
 Our men were dying very fast of dysentery, a 
 more or less severe attack of which scarcely a 
 single individual in the army escaped. This 
 disease has a very lowering effect on the spirits, 
 
280 THE GREAT CAZEE. 
 
 as well as on the physical strength, and doubtless 
 the poor fellow's end was to be attributed in a 
 great measure to its depressing influence. 
 
 When going through the Choota Kyber, I was 
 unlucky enough to be on the rear-guard. We had 
 in charge nearly all the trophy guns, among which 
 was the great Cazee* of Jellalabad. This un- 
 wieldly piece of ordnance was mounted on a most 
 rickety carriage. As the huge wheels slowly 
 revolved on the axle by the efforts of about forty 
 bullocks, which were yoked to the gun, they 
 grumbled and groaned in a most abominable man- 
 ner, and I expected every moment to see the 
 whole concern break down, the spokes coming 
 half way out of the felloes at every revolution of 
 the wheels, which from the immense weight of 
 the carriage pressing them down, always seemed 
 of an oval rather than of a circular form. We 
 got it along at the rate of about half a mile 
 an hour, until we came to the narrow tungeef 
 
 * Name of a large gun. There was another cazee at 
 Ghuznee, which was burst by General Nott, its immense 
 weight rendering it impossible to be moved. 
 
 t Defile. 
 
THE CHOOTA KYBER. 281 
 
 itself, the passage of which we found completely 
 choked up by camels standing closely jammed in- 
 side the pass. Crowds of baggage animals of 
 every description were gathered together at the 
 mouth of the defile, waiting for a chance of get- 
 ting through. This it did not seem likely would 
 be effected for a considerable time, as it appeared, 
 on inquiry, that there had not been a move for six 
 hours. 
 
 It was about one o'clock when we arrived, and 
 we were halted until five without the line of 
 baggage having shewn a sign of being able to 
 proceed. I got rather sick of this work, and, as 
 getting through the pass was out of the question, 
 I went over the hills to where the stoppage 
 seemed to commence. The reason of it was now 
 very palpable, an immense iron mortar having 
 been upset in the narrowest part, which com- 
 pletely closed the passage, so that we might have 
 remained until doomsday had I not proceeded to 
 see what was the matter. I instantly set my 
 company to work, and they with great labour 
 succeeded in breaking the limber, righting it 
 being altogether out of the question. They then 
 attached the drag-ropes to the divided parts, and 
 
282 THE KYBER PASS. 
 
 soon drew them out of the pass. The line of 
 camels and other trophy guns now began to 
 stream through regularly enough, but it was five 
 o'clock in the morning before we got into camp 
 at Lalpoora, having been delayed the whole night 
 in the pass. 
 
 We had had nothing to eat or drink all the 
 preceding day, and half an hour after we arrived 
 in camp the bugle sounded for us to start orT 
 again towards Lundekhanah, which is about eight 
 miles in the Kyber pass. We were completely 
 knocked up, but there was no help for it. Fortu- 
 nately, my servant had prepared a quantity of 
 fried meat for me when I first got to my tent, 
 which I hastily devoured before falling in ; and, 
 after striking my tent and loading my camels, he 
 galloped after the column on one of my horses, 
 with a bottle of tea, for which I had not been 
 able to wait. This was quite a God-send, for I 
 felt dead-beat, and we expected to meet with 
 some serious resistance from the Kyberees in the 
 pass. Had our anticipations proved correct, we 
 should have had some very fatiguing work in 
 climbing over the heights ; and to do that sort of 
 thingon an empty stomach is anything but pleasant. 
 
THE KYBER PASS. 283 
 
 We entered the pass, expecting every moment 
 a volley from the frowning hills on either side ; but, 
 to our astonishment, not a shot was heard, nor a 
 Kyberee to be seen. For some time we pro- 
 ceeded, supposing the enemy had thought it pru- 
 dent to get us well into the pass before they 
 commenced the attack. Still we went on, until 
 we nearly arrived at the encamping ground at 
 Lundekhanah, without a sign of opposition. At 
 last the conviction forced itself on our minds that 
 the Kyberees did not intend to fight. Our men 
 seemed much disappointed, having made up their 
 minds for a fray; but the enemy would not give 
 them a chance. Why they allowed our division 
 to pass unmolested I never could imagine, as 
 those behind were most furiously attacked, and 
 experienced heavy losses. 
 
 We got into camp this day rather early, it 
 being a short distance, and the passage undis- 
 puted. The next day*s march was to AH Musjid, 
 a very long and tedious journey, highly dangerous 
 from the difficulty and length of the way. 
 When we went through the Kyber, on our ad- 
 vance, we divided the distance from Lundekhanah 
 into two marches, halting at Lalbeg Ghurry, 
 
284 A FORCED MARCH. 
 
 which is about half way between the two places. 
 This was a far wiser arrangement, the pass from 
 Lundekhanah to Lalbeg Ghurry being of the most 
 formidable character, with a very long winding 
 and steep ascent, which the baggage train would 
 surely take many hours to accomplish. The 
 greater part of the force, and most certainly the 
 rear-guards, would probably be detained thereby 
 in the pass all night ; when, of course, it would in 
 the darkness be impossible to prevent the enemy 
 from plundering the baggage. It was said that 
 the reason of our not halting at Lalbeg Ghurry 
 was the want of water there, but that must have 
 been a mistake, as we found plenty on a pre- 
 vious occasion, and General Nott halted there 
 afterwards. The worst place in the world to try 
 a forced march is in a difficult pass, and so the 
 divisions after us found, although we were fortu- 
 nate enough to get through without loss. 
 
 We did not anticipate a free passage through 
 the Lundekhanah pass when we started that 
 morning, but to our surprise no enemy appeared. 
 We marched up the ascent with the band playing 
 in front " Away, away to the mountain's browj" 
 and a variety of other tunes, which had a most 
 
LOSS IN THE PASS. 285 
 
 beautiful effect in this wild scene, and shewed 
 the Kyberees that we were willing to give them 
 due notice of our whereabouts, if they had any 
 wish to try their luck against us. After a most 
 fatiguing march, we got in at night to our en- 
 camping ground at AH Musjid. The rear-guard 
 was very late in arriving, having been detained in 
 the pass ; the cattle being completely knocked up 
 by the length and difficulty of the way, and 
 unable to proceed but at the slowest pace. They 
 had some little skirmishing with the Kyberees, 
 who came down when it got dark ; but nothing 
 serious took place. 
 
 The next day, we continued our route, and, 
 emerging from the Kyber pass, encamped between 
 it and the city of Peshawur. When here, we heard 
 the intelligence of General M^CasknTs division 
 having been benighted in the pass during the long 
 march of which I have before spoken, and of its ( 'hav- 
 ing been attacked on all sides by the Kyberees in 
 the darkness. A heavy loss of baggage and two guns 
 had been experienced, and many officers and men 
 were killed and wounded. The guns were re-captured 
 the next day, and the great Cazee from Jellalabad, 
 which had broken down in the Lundekhanah pass, 
 
286 ADIEU TO THE KYBER. 
 
 was burst, it not being possible to remove it. 
 General Nott, who was in the rear of all, was 
 also furiously attacked ; but that staunch old 
 commander gave the enemy good cause to regret 
 their impetuosity, having defeated them with 
 great loss. We heard that he would not attempt 
 the forced march, which had been the sole cause 
 of the losses which the other division experienced ; 
 but, wisely halting at Lalbeg Ghurry, was enabled 
 to get his baggage every day into camp, and his 
 guards and piquets posted before nightfall. 
 
 On emerging from the Kyber, I pulled off my 
 cap, made a low bow to the gloomy mountains 
 which we had now left behind us, and fervently 
 expressed a hope that I might never be obliged 
 to visit them again. I was quite sick of the 
 sight of hills, and thought the view of the Indian 
 plains must be most enchanting, after the barren 
 and rock-bound country we had left. It was 
 delightful, too, to get through the day's march 
 without hearing ever and anon a bullet whistle by 
 in most unpleasant propinquity to one's person. 
 We were not allowed this time to halt at Pe- 
 shawur, for the reason, as we heard, that the 
 Seik government regarded us as such desperate 
 
PESHAWUR. 287 
 
 fellows, and so accustomed to plunder and free 
 quarters, that there was very little chance of our 
 resisting the temptation of looting* the good city 
 of Peshawur, if we should happen to be encamped 
 near it. 
 
 A large Seik army was in the immediate 
 vicinity ; but they were desperately afraid of us now 
 that we had come back crowned with victory, 
 an event so contrary to their expectations. In- 
 stead of the impertinence and insolence which 
 they formerly shewed, they were now our best 
 friends, the most obliging fellows imaginable, and 
 bowed and scraped upon all occasions. 
 
 On the 1st of November, we encamped about 
 four miles from Peshawur, arriving at the ground 
 by a circuitous route, so as to avoid passing near 
 the city at all. General Avitabili was as hos- 
 pitable and as civil as ever ; and any officer who 
 took the trouble to go to his house might feast 
 ad libitum on all sorts of Seik and European 
 delicacies. 
 
 At this time poor Pender of the 31st, who 
 received so severe a wound near Seerbaba, still 
 survived, although much reduced. The constant 
 * Sacking. 
 
288 PESHAWUR. 
 
 moving and shaking of the dooly in which he 
 was carried, and the impossibility of getting 
 proper rest and food, had the worst effects on his 
 frame. He was evidently sinking when we 
 arrived near Peshawur, but rallied again after 
 two or three days 5 halt, and began to hope that 
 if he could obtain rest for a few days he might 
 survive. On the opinion of the surgeon being 
 asked, he said that if Pender went on with the 
 force he could not survive beyond the first march, 
 the motion of the dooly being certain to kill him 
 in his already reduced state. He seemed himself 
 to have such a strong idea that he should recover, 
 if he could only be quiet for a fortnight or three 
 weeks, and he had so strong an objection to go on 
 with the corps, that by his direction a communi- 
 cation was made with General Avitabili to know 
 if he would give him a room in his house, and 
 shew him attention if he remained behind. This 
 Avitabili kindly promised to do, and the per- 
 mission of General Pollock having been obtained 
 to the arrangement, at his own urgent request Pen- 
 der was put into a dooly, and taken to Peshawur. 
 General Pollock refused a solicitation which was 
 made to allow an European soldier to remain 
 
PESHAWUR. 289 
 
 behind to attend him ; but as Avitabili said that 
 every attention should be showed him, and all 
 his own servants were with him, this, although 
 desirable, did not seem to be absolutely necessary. 
 I saw poor Pender the day before we marched, 
 when he was comfortably located in a room over 
 the gateway, in front of the Seik general's house ; 
 and, although he was a perfect skeleton in ap- 
 pearance, he seemed sanguine that he should 
 eventually recover ; and asked me to bring him 
 some bottles of wine and spirits next day, as he 
 might require such things when he got well. 
 When I returned to camp late that night, I 
 found that orders had been unexpectedly issued 
 for us to march the next morning, so that I was 
 not able to see the poor fellow again. Accounts 
 afterwards reached us that he had moved on 
 from Peshawur with General Nott's force, and 
 that he had died after the third march, at a place 
 called Nowshera. I have lately heard from 
 Captain Pender of the 62nd Regiment, that his 
 gallant and unfortunate brother was by accident 
 found in a most wretched state by some of the 
 officers of the 4 1 st Regiment. It appeared he had 
 been shamefully neglected by the servants ; no one, 
 
290 PESHAWUR. 
 
 by his own account, having come near him after 
 we left. Only one domestic was with him, and he 
 would give him nothing to eat but the remains of 
 his own meals of rice. Pender himself was too 
 weak to be able to move, and his other servants 
 must have deserted, having probably first plun- 
 dered him ; for by the same account I heard, that 
 he had no bed, but only an old horse-cloth to cover 
 him. If this account be true, those to whose care 
 he was confided must have behaved most scan- 
 dalously ; as I myself heard General Avitabili say 
 on the last day that I was in Peshawur, that no 
 endeavours should be wanting on his part to 
 make him comfortable. Pender at this time had 
 his own charpoy* and bed-clothes, and seemed to 
 be as comfortable as it was possible for a man in 
 his state to be. 
 
 During the time he had then been at Avitabilr's 
 (I think three days) he could have experienced no 
 neglect ; as, had that been the case, he would have 
 altered his determination of remaining, and have 
 gone on with his regiment, although it was sign- 
 ing his death-warrant to attempt it. Poor fellow, 
 it would indeed appear that he came to a most 
 * A Hindostanee bedstead. 
 
MORTALITY AMONG THE MEN. 291 
 
 miserable end ; but every arrangement that it was 
 in the power of his friends to make to ensure his 
 comfort, when he determined to remain behind, 
 was made. His gallantry deserved a better fate. 
 
 All General Pollock's necessary arrangements 
 having been completed, we marched on the 12th 
 of November from the camp near Peshawur. 
 Our men were very sickly from the effects of the 
 privations and hardships they had undergone. 
 The mortality among them was frightful. We 
 were ordered to push on without making the 
 usual halts, and the fatigue consequent upon this 
 constant marching prevented our sick men from 
 rallying. We had no means of conveyance for 
 them but kajawahs* slung on camels, the rough 
 motion of which, to men in the last stage of 
 disease, many of them suffering from wounds, 
 must have been insupportable. Recovery was 
 out of the question. If it were necessary for the 
 healthy part of a victorious army to push on 
 through a friendly country as if it was flying 
 from an enemy, I do not know why the sick 
 and wounded could not have followed under the 
 
 * A kind of rude chair, hung in pairs over the backs of 
 camels. 
 
 o 2 
 
292 PREPARATIONS AT FEROZEPORE. 
 
 charge of medical officers in a more leisurely 
 manner, by easy marches, three or four times 
 a-week. Had this plan been adopted, many, 
 many brave fellows, who sank under the constant 
 marching, might have been saved to their coun- 
 try. The 31st lost two more officers on this 
 march, Lieutenant Sayers, who died of small- 
 pox, and Lieutenant Tritton, of dysentery. We 
 lost also an immense number of men. Some 
 died of small-pox, which had broken out in the 
 camp, but the greater part of dysentery. 
 
 Many accounts reached us of the grand prepa- 
 rations which were being made for our reception 
 at Ferozepore by the Governor- General, who 
 spared no pains to express the delight which he 
 felt at our success. A triumphal arch was or- 
 dered to be erected on the bridge of boats, by 
 means of which we were to cross the Sutledge. 
 The functionaries, whose business it was to carry 
 out this intention of Lord Ellenborough's, had 
 most decidedly failed in the execution. The 
 boats composing the bridge itself were covered 
 with strips of yellow, blue, and red rags, meant 
 to represent (certainly in a very faint sense) the 
 gorgeous hues of the east when the orb of day 
 
THE TRIUMPHAL ARCH. 293 
 
 makes his appearance. But who shall attempt 
 to describe the erection denominated the tri- 
 umphal arch ? It was a scaffolding of bamboos, 
 resembling a gigantic gallows, and covered with 
 streamers of the same colours as the boats, and 
 of the same common material. Under this arch, 
 as they called it, the whole army marched, and 
 peals of merriment, as they did so, burst from 
 the soldiers, it was such an absolute caricature 
 of anything triumphal. I have no doubt but 
 that the natives fully expected it had been origi- 
 nally erected in order to hang Akbar Khan upon, 
 should we have been fortunate enough to catch 
 him ; but failing that, an attempt was made 
 to induce them to believe it had only been 
 erected to do honour to the victorious army. 
 Lord Ellenborough was so anxious to shew the 
 troops how much he estimated the successful 
 termination of this campaign, that he must have 
 been sadly disappointed at the manner in which 
 the executives had burlesqued his intention. Mr. 
 George Robins himself never could have had the 
 conscience to call it anything but a gallows. 
 
 At Ferozepore, where we arrived on the 1 9th of 
 December, I met a Prussian officer who had, I 
 
294 AN EXCHANGE. 
 
 believe, been sent out by his government in 
 order to witness the operations in Afghanistan. 
 He seemed a very nice fellow ; but as he never 
 got farther than Ferozepore, he might as well 
 have saved himself the trouble of travelling so 
 far. The only operations which he had an oppor- 
 tunity of seeing were the balls and dinner par- 
 ties given by the Governor- General and by 
 divers regiments. However, the triumphal gal- 
 lows was itself worth coming a few thousand 
 miles to see. 
 
 While I was in Affghanistan, my friends in 
 England had procured ray removal into the 34th 
 Regiment, which was at home. As soon, there- 
 fore, as I reached Ferozepore I purchased a 
 palanquin, and laid a dak to Meerut, which is 
 nearly three hundred miles distant, and where 
 my wife had resided during the time I was away 
 on service. It was with heartfelt regret that I 
 left a regiment with which I had served in so 
 many stirring scenes, and I took leave of my com- 
 panions in arms with a sad heart, having little 
 expectation of our ever meeting again. 
 
 There is something in war which seems to bind 
 men together. I think there is never so friendly 
 
GENERAL POLLOCK'S ARMY. 295 
 
 a feeling among the members of any regiment as 
 when on service ; and, when they part after having 
 fought in the same field, it is with a kindly disposi- 
 tion towards each other, totally different from that 
 experienced on separating from common acquaint- 
 ances. I dined at the mess the night before my 
 departure, and, after a warm shake of the hand, 
 and interchange of good wishes with each of my 
 old comrades, I retired for a few hours' sleep to a 
 friend's tent, from whence I set out early the 
 next morning on my way to Meerut. 
 
 It was of the utmost consequence to me that I 
 should proceed to England, owing to the severe ca- 
 lamity which had befallen me in the death of my 
 poor father. After so many years' separation also 
 from the rest of my family, how great was my 
 desire again to embrace them ! Yet, with the 
 bright prospect before me of visiting home and all 
 its attractions again, my heart yearned towards my 
 old corps, and the brave fellows with whom I had 
 shared so many perils. 
 
 Never was a commander more fortunate in his 
 army than General Pollock. The behaviour 
 of every corps comprising it was on all occasions 
 admirable. The soldier-like and gallant bearing 
 
296 A STORM. 
 
 of the 31st, under the most trying circumstances, 
 together with its high state of. discipline, and in- 
 terior economy, won the admiration of the whole 
 force. My regret at leaving such a regiment was 
 therefore not to be wondered at. 
 
 No sooner had I proceeded about twelve miles 
 on my journey than it began to pour with rain, 
 not the gentle showers that we have in England, 
 but the water coming down in torrents. It 
 thundered as if heaven and earth were coming 
 together, and the forked lightning ran along the 
 ground in every direction; altogether, I never 
 saw a more fearful storm. The bearers could 
 not stand under it, so they were fain to put 
 the palanquin under the lee of a small shed, 
 which presented itself on the road side. They 
 huddled themselves together inside the wretched 
 hut, through the straw roof of which the water 
 poured down in streams. Unfortunately, the roof 
 of my palkee was not perfectly water-proof, al- 
 though I had purchased the best which was to be 
 found in Ferozepore. The water began to ooze 
 through, at first by the smallest drops, but as the 
 constant stream washed away the putty, or what- 
 ever it was with which it had been caulked, it 
 
A STORM. 297 
 
 streamed through in right earnest, wetting my 
 mattrass and every thing inside. 
 
 I could not help contrasting the progressive man- 
 ner in which the element had taken possession of 
 my stronghold, with the rise of the British power in 
 India, At first, it was in the most humble and 
 deferential manner that a company of speculating 
 tradesmen obtained permission from an Indian 
 prince to build a factory on a piece of ground al- 
 lotted for the purpose. No sooner had this footing 
 been obtained, than like the continued stream of 
 water falling on the roof of my palkee, reinforce- 
 ments and supports pressed on them from England. 
 The head was in, and the body soon followed. 
 Encreasing daily, at length the intruders demanded 
 in the most haughty manner concessions from the 
 astonished natives, the hundredth part of which 
 would a few years before have been prayed for in 
 the most abject manner. Following up to the letter 
 the old proverb of " The more you get the more you 
 may," these adventurers eventually overran the 
 country, and their career of conquest was like the 
 mad course of the whirlwind over the rich plains 
 of India. Even so was it with my palanquin ; for 
 the roof at last became so completely pervious 
 
 o3 
 
298 THE ROAD. 
 
 to the persevering attempts of the rain, that I ran 
 a very good chance of being washed out of my own 
 vehicle, when, as good luck would have it, the 
 thick pall of heavy clouds overhead began to 
 open, and a faint gleam of sunshine breaking 
 forth, seemed to promise more favourable wea- 
 ther before long. 
 
 Having been detained by the storm for about 
 six hours, I was anxious to proceed, and with 
 some difficulty routing out the bearers from their 
 shelter, I made them take up the palkee, and 
 continued my journey. The poor wretches were 
 half stupified by the cold and wet; and it was 
 a perfect charity to make them trot along again. 
 The road passes through the protected Seik states, 
 and robberies are of frequent occurrence. In con- 
 sequence of the many outrages which had at 
 divers times been committed between Ferozepore 
 and Loodianah, it was customary for a sowar* to 
 attend every set of bearers, and to accompany the 
 traveller's palanquin for the stage as an escort. 
 After the first stage from Ferozepore, no sowar 
 ever attended, but as I was well armed myself 
 
 * A native trooper. 
 
A PLEASANT SITUATION. 299 
 
 I was not at all in want of their assistance. I got 
 on well enough, until I happened during the night 
 to fall asleep. How long I remained in this state 
 I know not, but in the morning when I awoke, I 
 found my palkee had been set down on the ground 
 in the middle of a large plain, and all the bearers 
 had absconded. I was left alone in my glory. The 
 scoundrels were afraid to proceed during the 
 night, and, therefore, as soon as they saw I was 
 asleep, they had set down the palanquin, and 
 walked off to some village in the vicinity, in order 
 to pass the night. I shouted and swore, but all 
 to no purpose, the only answer I got being from 
 a pariah dog which was prowling about at some 
 distance, and which, as soon as he heard my 
 voice, began to bark most furiously. I could not 
 leave my palanquin to go in search of the rascally 
 bearers, there being little doubt that, if I did, 
 it would be plundered in my absence. I was, 
 therefore, fain to light a cheroot, and sat myself 
 down on a bank to wait, 
 
 " Like Patience on a monument," 
 until it should please the scoundrels to return. 
 
 About two hours after sunrise they shewed 
 themselves at a distance, when they made a halt, 
 
300 A NEGOCIATION. 
 
 and sent forward one of their number as an 
 ambassador in order, I suppose, to see what sort 
 of humour I was in. This worthy approached 
 within a few yards of me, but I remarked that he 
 kept his eye anxiously fixed on my motions, and 
 was quite ready to make a bolt at once if I seemed 
 likely to attempt to seize him. He held up 
 his hands in an attitude of supplication, and told 
 me that his comrades and himself were poor men, 
 that they had been very much tired, and that 
 having committed a great fault in deserting me, 
 they were afraid to come near until assured of my 
 forgiveness. In other words, they were fearful of 
 getting a good thrashing all round for their rascality. 
 I certainly would have given almost any thing 
 to have had an opportunity of laying a stick over 
 their backs, but I had no chance. It was evident 
 none of them would come within reach, and run- 
 ning after them was out of the question ; the 
 natives being so nimble that no European would 
 have a chance of catching them. I wanted also 
 to get on; and, although in a furious temper, 
 I thought it politic to assure them, that if they 
 would come and take up the palanquin and proceed 
 at once, I would not harm them. Seeing still a 
 
BEARERS ABSCOND. 301 
 
 little hesitation on their parts of coming nearer 
 until I was safely inside, I took out my double- 
 barrelled gun, and declaring that if they at- 
 tempted to bolt again I would let fly among 
 them, I deposited myself in my vehicle, and 
 was instantly hoisted up on their shoulders and 
 trotted on to the next stage. 
 
 At this place was a bungalow, the only one on 
 the road between Ferozepore and Loodianah. 
 The bearers put down my palkee in the verandah, 
 and before I could get out they took to their 
 heels, and disappeared in an instant. The fact 
 was, they were afraid of being obliged to take 
 on the palanquin of another traveller, who was 
 proceeding in the contrary direction to myself, and 
 who, as he informed me, had been delayed at this 
 place for two days, not being able to procure 
 bearers. It is customary when palanquins meet 
 on a journey for the bearers to change, and thus 
 return to their own stations. The fellows who 
 had brought me had evidently an idea that it was 
 much easier work for them to go back empty- 
 handed, than to carry the other traveller's palkee 
 to their station. This would not have been 
 alio >ved in lower India; but in these Seik states 
 
302 A DAK BUNGALOW. 
 
 the authorities have no influence over the disor- 
 derly inhabitants ; and, although a traveller pays 
 for his dak before he starts, it is seldom indeed 
 that he finds it is regularly laid on the road, 
 although I believe it is not usual to be quite 
 so much troubled as I was. The postmasters at 
 the stations send their directions to the head men 
 of villages to lay the dak in the same manner as 
 in lower India, but these worthies at the villages 
 between Ferozepore and Loodianah seldom take 
 any notice of the matter : and I conceive there are 
 no means of punishing them, as the country is 
 not exactly at present under the British authority. 
 Fortunately, the bungalow at which I was 
 detained was a very good one, having been built 
 by order of Government for the accommodation 
 of dak travellers on this unsettled road. There 
 was a kitmutgar,* who in a short time prepared 
 me a capital breakfast of curried fowl and chupat- 
 tees.f The gentleman who like myself was de- 
 tained here, told me he had no difficulty in getting 
 bearers until he arrived at this place, and that the 
 
 * Cook. 
 
 f Thin cakes of unleaved bread. 
 
A DAK BUNGALOW. 303 
 
 chokedar* of the bungalow had promised him, for a 
 consideration, to procure bearers from avillagesome 
 distance off to take him on that night. This func- 
 tionary was absent on his mission when I arrived. 
 On his return, he assured me that I had little 
 chance of getting bearers for two days at least, 
 but that he would do his best, and if possible 
 I should have them by the following morning. 
 
 This was a delightful predicament to be placed 
 in. I had been separated from my wife for a 
 year, and had been pleasing myself with the 
 thought, that in three days from my leaving Feroze- 
 pore, I should have the happiness of rejoining her. 
 Not having anticipated these continued impedi- 
 ments, I had written from that station to inform 
 her when I expected to reach Meerut. In addi- 
 tion, therefore, to the nuisance of being delayed, I 
 knew she would be excessively anxious on finding 
 I did not arrive, knowing that I was travelling on 
 a very dangerous road. 
 
 My fellow-traveller and myself wandered about 
 the whole day to beguile away the weary hours, 
 which seemed to drag on most heavily. We 
 
 * Watchman. 
 
304 KILLING TIME. 
 
 threw stones at the crows which were impudently 
 hopping about the verandah in search of the 
 remains of our breakfasts. We then adjourned 
 to a well which we saw at a short distance, and 
 were amused for some time by witnessing the 
 squabbling among a number of women who had 
 assembled to draw water, as to who should get 
 the first bucket. By means of these and similar 
 diversions, we whiled away the time until the hour 
 for tiffin, not that we were hungry, but the meal 
 would help us to dispel the irksome moments. 
 The old kitmutgar w T as a capital cook and fed us 
 very well, so we congratulated ourselves that we 
 were no worse off*, as it was just as likely for us to 
 have been left without bearers at a station in the 
 middle of the jungle, where we could get nothing in 
 the way of food or shelter. Here, at least, we had 
 a comfortable bungalow over our heads and good 
 living. All things have an end, and at last this long 
 dull day came to a close. How impatiently we 
 watched the sun descending towards the horizon : 
 every five minutes looking out and wondering 
 what made him move so slowly ! We dined at 
 five o'clock, and shortly afterwards my friend's new 
 bearers made their appearance. He was anxious 
 
DRUNKEN SEIKS. 305 
 
 enough to get on, and stepping at once into his 
 palkee, bade me farewell. I was once more alone. 
 How I envied his luck in getting bearers, as I 
 stood watching his palanquin receding in the 
 distance ! I was now in a more unpleasant situa- 
 tion than ever. I had somebody to talk to while 
 he was delayed as well as myself; but now I could 
 find nothing to wear away the time. 
 
 I ordered some tea to be got ready, and sitting 
 in the verandah smoking a cheroot, while it was 
 being prepared, I heard a continual shouting, 
 accompanied with peals of laughter, from some 
 persons galloping along the road towards the 
 bungalow. The clattering of their horses 5 hoofs 
 might have been heard at a great distance in the 
 stillness of the night, had not the boisterous merri- 
 ment of the riders been quite sufficient to wake 
 up all the sleepers for miles around. While I was 
 wondering who these noisy subjects could be, 
 they galloped up to where I was sitting, and by 
 the light of a cherag which I ordered to be 
 brought, I discovered two young Seiks splendidly 
 armed and mounted, and both as drunk as lords. 
 They were delighted, they said, to meet a Sahib,* 
 
 * English gentleman. 
 
306 DRUNKEN SEIKS. 
 
 as all the Feringees were such good fellows, and 
 insisted upon singing some Seik songs to me in 
 praise of brandy. I was excessively amused with 
 the fellows, who were the most good natured and 
 pleasant animals in their cups that I ever beheld. 
 I had some rum in my palanquin, which I asked 
 them to taste, and with which request they most 
 willingly acquiesced. They dismounted and sat 
 with me for three or four hours, when they told 
 me that they were the sons of a Sirdar,* that they 
 were going to Lahore to pay their respects to the 
 Maharajah, Shere Sing, and that they had pro- 
 cured a dozen bottles of brandy from Loodianah 
 to keep them well during the journey, as they 
 heard it was considered a great medicine among 
 the Feringees. They had finished eight bottles 
 in two days, and they said they thought it was 
 the nicest medicine they had ever tasted. It 
 appeared they liked rum, also, for they emptied 
 one of my bottles immediately, and wished for 
 another ; but I would not give them any more, 
 having but one bottle left. At about eleven 
 o'clock they prepared to depart, and with many 
 a squeeze of the hand and expressions of friend- 
 
 * A chief. 
 
DRUNKEN SEIKS. 307 
 
 ship, they bade me farewell and mounted their 
 steeds. No sooner were they on the backs of 
 their unfortunate quadrupeds, than they dashed 
 their spurs up to the rowel heads in their flanks, 
 and scampered off again at full speed, 
 
 " Making night hideous " 
 
 with their yells. I could hear their shouts and 
 laughter growing fainter and fainter as they in- 
 creased their distance from the bungalow, until 
 nothing remained to disturb the silence of the 
 night save the occasional cry of the jackall in pur- 
 suit of its prey, and the eternal chirupping of the 
 crickets, with which every part of India teems, 
 and which invariably keep up their monoto- 
 nous concerts during the whole of the hours 
 of darkness. 
 
 Shortly after my Seik friends had departed, I 
 got into my palanquin and soon fell asleep. At 
 about five o'clock in the . morning, the chokedar 
 redeemed his promise by bringing the bearers 
 who were to take me on. Shaking my shoulder 
 as I lay asleep, he inquired if it was my pleasure 
 to proceed, as the cahar logue* were ready, and 
 
 * Palanquin bearera. 
 
308 THE JOURNEY. 
 
 waiting. I need not say that I assured him in 
 answer, that it most decidedly was my pleasure to 
 proceed at once ; and, rewarding the chokedar with 
 a rupee, I ordered the bearers to take up the pa- 
 lanquin, and was soon again trotting along the road. 
 
 At the bungalow, I had been able to dry the 
 mattress and other coverings of my palanquin, 
 which had been saturated with water during the 
 storm which I encountered when leaving Feroze- 
 pore. I had, however, caught a most severe 
 cough and rheumatism from lying on them, and 
 having my own clothes wet for a day and night. 
 No sooner had I proceeded about five miles from 
 the bungalow than the dark clouds overhead began 
 again to discharge their burdens, and showers of 
 rain came pouring down, again wetting everything 
 I had through and through. The roof of my 
 palanquin was completely like a sieve, the thin 
 lathes of wood of which it was composed, having 
 warped from the combined effects of sun and 
 rain, and cracked the painted canvass with which 
 it was covered. I was not able again to dry my 
 things, until I arrived at Meerut. 
 
 However, it was some consolation that I found 
 bearers waiting regularly at every stage; and I 
 
AN ACCIDENT. 309 
 
 proceeded on my route without stoppage all 
 that day. Still it appeared that my journey to 
 Meerut was ordained to be a continued chapter of 
 accidents : for during the night the pole of my 
 palkee broke, and down I came with a run. 
 Happily, however, this misfortune occurred close 
 to a native city, where I was enabled to procure 
 a quantity of rope and a strong bamboo, by means 
 of which, the palanquin was soon again rendered 
 serviceable, and I continued my journey, not in 
 the most pleasant humour in the world, as I fully 
 expected the pole to give way again every minute. 
 
 I was agreeably disappointed. The rude splicing 
 kept together during the whole of the next day, 
 and that night I reached Kurnaul, where I was 
 enabled to get a new pole to my vehicle in a very 
 short time, there being numberless carpenters at 
 that station, whose trade it is to make and repair 
 palanquins. After this, I met with no more 
 mishaps, and arrived safely at Meerut the next 
 night, where I had been long and anxiously 
 expected. 
 
 All the ladies of the 9th and 31st regiments, 
 together with the depots of invalids, women, and 
 children were located at this station, and the next 
 
310 THE DEPOT. 
 
 day I was quite overwhelmed with inquiries from 
 the females on all sides regarding the health of 
 their absent lords. As I was the first who 
 returned from the scene of war, I had to bear the 
 brunt of the first fire of their curiosity. They 
 wanted to know whether this account was correct, 
 and if that were not untrue ; whether so and so 
 did not distinguish himself particularly, and 
 whether such a one talked constantly of his wife, 
 and sent his love to her or not, and why he had 
 not sent a letter by me, &c. &c. 
 
 I assured them all that their husbands were 
 quite au desespoir at not being able to join them 
 immediately, and that they all sent their love and 
 would write by post, as they had not had time to 
 get letters prepared when I left. I then began to 
 make preparations for daking down to Calcutta, 
 which is about a thousand miles from Meerut. 
 Being anxious to get to England as soon as pos- 
 sible, I had determined to travel by dak, as the 
 most expeditious mode. 
 
M.EERUT. 311 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Station of Meerut Dak trip to Calcutta Station of Alla- 
 habad Benares Beggars The Rajmahal hills A tiger 
 A wild elephant Arrival at Calcutta Author embarks 
 for England Fishing off the coast of Africa Table Bay 
 Cape Town St. Helena A gale of wind An Irish 
 hooker Kinsale An Irish steamer An accident 
 Arrival at home. 
 
 Meerut is a very fine station, decidedly one of 
 the best in India. The cantonments are very 
 extensive, sufficient to accommodate six or seven 
 thousand men, including a regiment of European 
 cavalry, horse artillery, and infantry. Small pox 
 is rather prevalent there, but generally the climate 
 is not unhealthy. Shops for the sale of European 
 wares of every description are large and numerous, 
 and consequent on this competition the articles 
 sold by them are at excessively moderate prices. 
 
312 MEERUT. 
 
 All the officers' bungalows have gardens attached, 
 in which far better vegetables and fruit may be 
 raised than those which are proffered for sale in 
 the bazaars. Mutton, beef, fowls, &c. are plentiful, 
 of excellent quality, and very cheap. There is 
 capital shooting in the vicinity. Plenty of wild- 
 fowl may be had, and the station is sufficiently near 
 to the Himalaya mountains to render it an easy 
 matter to run up for a change of air to Simla, 
 or some other hill station, during the hot weather. 
 Altogether, should I ever go to India again, if I 
 had my choice of stations, I should fix on Meerut. 
 The distance to Calcutta being so great, 1 
 apprehended the fatigue of the journey day and 
 night, without halting, would be too much for my 
 wife, while at the same time we were both 
 anxious to accomplish it in as short a time as 
 possible. I therefore laid a dak first to Allaha- 
 bad, which is about half way to the presidency, 
 and from thence another to Calcutta. Four days' 
 notice would be required by the postmaster 
 at Allahabad to complete his arrangements, and 
 thus we should be enabled to have a little rest on 
 the way. It is dreadfully dull and fatiguing work 
 to be on one's back in a close wooden box, and to 
 
DAK TRAVELLING. 313 
 
 be jolted day and night for ten or twelve days 
 together. Even if the traveller is happy enough 
 to be able to sleep during the nights, he is inva- 
 riably woke up at the termination of every stage 
 by the demand of buxees for the bearers, who 
 have completed the distance. This is a custom 
 which might easily be abolished, for if the men 
 receive too little recompense for their work at 
 the present rate, a larger sum should be charged 
 in the first instance, instead of subjecting the 
 traveller to the intolerable nuisance of having 
 his slumbers broken in upon every two hours, 
 when his rest is quite sufficiently disturbed by the 
 incoveniences which are inseparable from this 
 mode of travelling. 
 
 Having purchased another palanquin, with four 
 pair of banghies,* and laid in a good stock of inter- 
 nal comforts in the commissariat line, the evening 
 of the 29th of December we ensconced ourselves 
 in our palkees, and bidding good-bye to a numer- 
 
 * Small boxes, two of which are slung on a bamboo, and 
 carried by a bearer alongside the palanquin. These banghy 
 burdars, as they are called, are relieved at every stage, 
 as well as those who carry the palkee itself. 
 
 P 
 
314 DAK BUNGALOWS. 
 
 cms assembly of friends with whom we had taken 
 a farewell dinner, we were lifted on the shoulders 
 of our two-legged steeds, and started at the rate 
 of about three miles and a half an hour, on our 
 journey towards Allahabad. On the fifth day, we 
 were set down, without accident, at the dak bun- 
 galow at that station. The roads in this part of 
 India are remarkably good, and it is seldom 
 indeed that travellers meet with any delay. There 
 are dak bungalows at every stage, where kitmut- 
 gars are always in attendance to prepare dinner cr 
 breakfast for any traveller who may stop and 
 require their services. A charge is made by 
 government at each bungalow of one rupee for the 
 use of the same, towards defraying the expenses 
 of building and repairing these accommodations 
 for travellers. The kitmutgar makes his own 
 charge for the refreshments which he supplies, 
 which, however, is generally very moderate. It 
 must be owned that the fare is very moderate 
 also, it being seldom the case that any thing but a 
 curried fowl and some chupattees can be obtained. 
 Persons accustomed to travelling, therefore, 
 and who are fond of making themselves as com- 
 fortable as circumstances will permit, always take 
 
ALLAHABAD. 315 
 
 a private stock of cold meat, preserves, pickles, 
 &c, by the assistance of which adjuncts to the 
 fare procurable at the bungalow, they can at all 
 times command a tolerable dinner. I had loaded 
 two banghies with good things, being determined 
 to enjoy myself as much as I could, after having 
 been so long in Affghanistan living on the worst 
 and scantiest food. 
 
 Immediately on arriving at Allahabad, I went 
 to the post- master of the station, and, having 
 ordered a dak for Calcutta, we spent the four days 
 which it was necessary to wait in rambling about 
 the place. There is a fine fort at this station, 
 comprising extensive magazines of artillery, 
 small arms, and other munitions of war, of all 
 descriptions. The roads about the cantonments 
 are excessively good, and the station is altogether 
 very pleasantly situated on the banks of the river 
 Ganges. European troops are never stationed 
 here, the garrison being entirely composed of 
 sepoys. I believe the climate is tolerably healthy, 
 and generally liked by the European residents. 
 
 On the 8th of January, our dak arrangements 
 having been completed, we again set forward on 
 our journey, and proceeded without accident as 
 
 p 2 
 
316 BENARES. 
 
 far as the holy City of Benares. There we met 
 with delay, no bearers being in waiting. After 
 a great deal of trouble, I succeeded in hiring 
 three sets, who agreed to take us on for thirty 
 miles, when I was given to understand I was 
 pretty sure to find the dak all right. While 
 waiting at the dak bungalow, before I was able 
 to conclude these arrangements, we were re* 
 gularly besieged by crowds of itinerant dealers 
 in Benares scarfs, embroidered muslins, and native 
 paintings of great men. These fellows crowded 
 into the compound from all sides, and it was with 
 the greatest difficulty that I could drive them out. 
 About fifty beggars then swarmed in, some of 
 whom were the most disgusting objects I ever 
 beheld. It was impossible to get rid of them 
 by any other plan than by throwing some pice 
 outside the compound, which had the effect of 
 taking them away in order to scramble for the 
 coin. Benares, being a great resort of pilgrims 
 and of religious men, is also a favourite rendezvous 
 for mendicants, whose constant demand of alms 
 is very troublesome. Most of them are cripples, 
 with frightfully distorted limbs. So fond are the 
 natives of idleness, that parents of this sect are 
 
THE RAJMAHAL HILLS. 317 
 
 said to maim their offspring in infancy, that they 
 may be objects of charity in after life, instead 
 of having to work for their bread. At Benares, 
 there are several native regiments, but no Euro- 
 pean soldiers. 
 
 On arriving near the Rajmahal hills, the road 
 becomes rather dangerous, in consequence of the 
 thick jungle which covers the country through 
 which the Calcutta road runs, and which is infested 
 with tigers, bears, and other beasts of prey. One 
 evening, we halted for a couple of hours to get 
 some tea, at a bungalow in the centre of a dense 
 forest. The chokedar informed me that a tiger 
 was in the nightly habit of going his rounds close 
 to the house, which they were in consequence 
 obliged to keep carefully shut up after dark. He 
 pointed out a tree close by, from under which a 
 native had been carried off by the monster the 
 evening before we arrived. The poor wretch's 
 blood was still fresh in gouts upon the grass 
 at the spot where he had been seized. 
 
 The chokedar also showed me some places at 
 which the bears were in the nightly habit of dig- 
 ging for roots, within forty yards of the house. 
 One of these animals had killed a woman who had 
 
318 A WILD ELEPHANT. 
 
 been gathering sticks in the forest, a few days 
 before our arrival. 
 
 It was night when we left this centrical spot of 
 agreeable society ; and I remarked, as we pro- 
 ceded along the road, which was overhung with 
 thick jungle, that the bearers kept very close 
 together, looking fearfully round on every side, 
 while the mussalchees* poured a constant and 
 plentiful supply of oil upon their torches, which 
 they flourished high over their heads, in order to 
 keep off any of the savage inhabitants of the 
 wilderness that might be partial to black men. 
 
 It is singular that a tiger invariably seizes the 
 last man of any party on which he may make an 
 attack. The natives are perfectly aware of this 
 fact, and I could hardly help laughing at the anx- 
 iety each bearer shewed to keep in front. The 
 noise of the bearers, and the flaming light of the 
 torches generally keep off the wild denizens of the 
 forest from a dak party ; but the poor fellows who 
 carry the letters for the postmasters, and who are 
 always alone, are very frequently taken away. 
 Some years ago, a wild elephant took possession of 
 
 * Torch bearers. 
 
ARRIVAL AT CALCUTTA. 319 
 
 a part of the road to the upper provinces, and 
 completely stopped the post by killing every 
 person who came by. The cause of the stoppage 
 being at length discovered, a party of officers 
 went out, and shot the gigantic brute. 
 
 We were lucky enough to meet with no molesta- 
 tion from the tigers, and proceeded without fur- 
 ther delay on our journey until we arrived at 
 Augurporah, which is about nine miles from Cal- 
 cutta, and where we did not find any bearers waiting 
 for us. It was very annoying to be impeded just 
 at the termination of our travels, but fortunately 
 I discovered that there were some stables at this 
 place, belonging to Mr. Cook, the livery-stable 
 keeper of Calcutta, and I was able to hire a buggy 
 and horse, while the man who superintended the 
 concern undertook to take charge of my palanquin 
 and banghies until the bearers should arrive, 
 when they were to bring them on to the hotel 
 at which I purposed staying. We arrived at 
 Calcutta in this vehicle, on the evening of the 
 15 th of January, heartily tired of dak travelling, 
 and thanking our stars that we had no more of it 
 in anticipation. But still the horribly dull and long 
 sea-voyage stared me in the face, before I could 
 once again set foot upon my native soil. 
 
320 HOMEWARD BOUND. 
 
 I obtained a passage in the first ship that 
 sailed, and embarked, on the 29th of January, 
 from Cooly Bazaar. No sooner had we taken 
 possession of our cabin than the anchor was 
 hove up, and we began to drop down the river. As 
 the gallant vessel laid over to the breeze, and her 
 broad canvass bellied with the wind, urging her 
 forward like some vast monster through the waves, 
 how delightful was the thought, that at length 
 we were really on our way home, and that the 
 land of pestilence and death in which I had so 
 long sojourned was fast receding from our view ! 
 
 A ship is the most uncomfortable abode in the 
 world at any time, but more particularly while the 
 pilot is on board at the commencement of a voyage. 
 Right glad, therefore, was I when I saw him take 
 his departure, on arriving at the sand heads. While 
 the pilot is on board a ship, nothing is in order ; 
 every thing is at sixes-and-sevens. No sooner, 
 however, has the vessel got into deep water, and is 
 again under the control of her legitimate com- 
 mander, than things bear a totally different aspect. 
 Neatness and regularity then take the place of 
 disorder and confusion, and the situation of the 
 passengers, accordingly, becomes more tolerable. 
 
GOOD FISHING. 321 
 
 We had a very fine passage to the Cape of 
 Good Hope, not having experienced any bad 
 weather until our arrival near the coast of Africa. 
 But our voyage was tedious, in consequence of 
 the ship being very heavily laden, and a sluggish 
 sailer. 
 
 When about a hundred miles from the coast, 
 we had a gale of wind, but not very severe. 
 After it had subsided, the master determined to 
 put into the Cape for fresh provisions and water, 
 our stock having nearly run out. When sounding 
 on our arriving near the coast, the sailors fastened 
 hooks to the lead, and pulled up very fine fish at 
 every heave. One evening, we ran very near in 
 shore at Cape Agullas, and every man on board 
 throwing out a line, it was amusing to see how 
 fast we pulled up the fish. Some of them 
 weighed from forty to fifty pounds, and were of 
 most excellent flavour. Our tackle consisted of 
 large hooks baited with pieces of salt pork, and 
 fastened to a strong line, with a weight attached 
 to sink it to the bottom. It was no sooner there 
 than the fish bit most ravenously, and I am sure 
 that in a day we might have caught enough to 
 freight the ship. 
 
 p 3 
 
322 TABLE BAY. 
 
 The number of gannets, cormorants, and sea- 
 gulls which frequent the entrance to Table Bay is 
 astonishing. We were becalmed when but a few 
 miles from the shore, and had capital sport, firing 
 at them with ball, as they heavily flapped their 
 huge wings in the air, or idly reposed on the calm 
 bosom of the placid sea. At last, a breeze sprang 
 up, and we were able to make our way in. We 
 were quickly surrounded by boats from the shore, 
 and no sooner was the anchor dropped than I 
 stepped into one of them, delighted enough at 
 the idea of once again standing on terra firma, 
 after having been for upwards of two months 
 cooped up in a floating prison. 
 
 Cape Town reminded me much of the towns 
 in Germany^ the houses and shops being built 
 exactly on the same plan. The place itself is 
 not large, but the houses appear to be comfort- 
 able and well-built, and the shops are plentifully 
 supplied with every article of consumption. It is 
 altogether a very nice station for troops, the 
 climate being exceedingly fine : fish, flesh, and 
 fowl are remarkably good and cheap, and first- 
 rate shooting is to be had in the vicinity. 
 
 On the second day after our arrival, a mass of 
 
TABLE BAY. 323 
 
 dark thick clouds was seen overhanging the 
 summit of Table Mountain, foreboding by their 
 presence that a storm was gathering. The mas- 
 ter of our ship was very anxious to get on board 
 and put to sea, Table Bay being a very dangerous 
 harbour for a vessel to ride out a gale in. His 
 engagements on shore, however, prevented our 
 embarking until late at night, when the gale had 
 already commenced. On arriving at the pier, the 
 scene was very grand. The waves were running 
 mountains high, and the ships at anchor were 
 tossing up and down, like so many cockle-shells. 
 Their tall masts, seen in bold relief by the light- 
 ning that blazed around, seemed as if they would 
 pierce the thick canopy of lowering clouds which 
 hung in dense masses above them. Crowds of 
 spectators thronged the pier to see us off. It 
 was with the greatest difficulty that we got into 
 the boat which was to convey us to the ship, the 
 sailors being obliged to keep her some distance 
 from the piles, to prevent her being dashed to 
 pieces against them by the sea. At last, we all 
 got safely in, and away we went with a closely 
 reefed sail, our frail bark riding like a sea-bird 
 over the boiling waters. 
 
324 ST. HELENA. 
 
 We soon reached the ship, and the anchor being 
 quickly hove up, we stood out to sea before the 
 gale, and long before morning the coast of Africa 
 had faded from our view. The wind continued 
 fair, and in fourteen days we passed St. Helena, that 
 barren rock which was at once the prison and the 
 tomb of the mightiest spirit of the age in which he 
 lived. How truly do the words of our immortal 
 poet apply to the sad fate of the Great Napoleon ! 
 
 Ill weav'd ambition, how much art thou shrunk ! 
 When that this body did contain a spirit, 
 A kingdom for it was too small a bound ; 
 But now two paces of the vilest earth 
 Is room enough. 
 
 We passed the island with a spanking breeze, 
 and in a few days made Ascension, of turtle 
 notoriety. From the view which I had of this 
 place I should say it was only fit for turtle to 
 live on. Its aspect from the sea is most barren 
 and desolate. The voyage now became inde- 
 scribably irksome. Every day seemed a year in its 
 tedious course. But this is always the case with 
 a long sea trip. At first, the novelty of the situa- 
 tion, and the knowledge that the voyage is all 
 before one, prevent that anxiety for its termi- 
 
THE WESTERN ISLANDS. 325 
 
 nation which towards the close of it is so insup- 
 portable. The last month appears as long as 
 the three preceding ones. 
 
 At length, we made the western islands, and, 
 as I believe is generally the case in that part 
 of the world, it blew a regular gale of wind. 
 Fortunately it was fair, and we ran before it 
 at the rate of ten knots an hour, the vast 
 billows which followed our wake seeming every 
 moment ready to swallow us up, while showers 
 of spray flew over the forecastle and deck, as the 
 vessel dashed through the blue waters. The 
 wind whistled hoarsely through the cordage, 
 and the ship creaked and groaned in her mad 
 course as the gale increased, and bowed the tall 
 masts before it like willow wands. The master 
 determined to carry on all the sail he could, never 
 himself leaving the deck ; and, at last, as the wind 
 blew stronger and stronger, we absolutely flew 
 through the waves. Nothing is so inspiriting as 
 a fair breeze at sea, no matter how much of it, so 
 long as it is in the right quarter, and sail can be 
 carried. We rubbed our hands and chuckled 
 with glee as we speculated on the probability of 
 reaching England in a week, if the wind held fair. 
 
326 AN IRISH HOOKER. 
 
 Bets were made as to the day on which we 
 should take the pilot on board, &c. &c. There 
 was now no doubt but that our long dull voyage 
 was at last very near its termination, and that 
 in a few more days we should once again be 
 gladdened with the sight of the white cliffs of our 
 own sea-girt home. 
 
 When about fifty miles from the coast of Ire- 
 land, we fell in with a hooker belonging to Kin- 
 sale, which had been blown out to sea in a gale of 
 wind. The crew soon came alongside, and, fasten- 
 ing their boat to our ship, a regular barter took 
 place between the sailors and themselves. They 
 supplied our men with bread and potatoes, in 
 exchange for straw hats, shirts, and old clothes 
 of every description. Towards evening, they be- 
 gan to make preparations for their departure ; and, 
 as I was quite tired of the ship, and longed most 
 ardently to get on dry land as soon as possible, 
 1 made a bargain with them to take myself and 
 wife, with a servant and our baggage, to Kinsale, 
 whence I purposed proceeding to Cork, and cross- 
 ing over to Bristol in a steamer. 
 
 The sea was rather high, and it was not very 
 easy to get into the boat, which it was necessary 
 
AN IRISH HOOKER. 327 
 
 to keep a short distance from the ship, in order 
 to prevent her being swamped. Sailors, however, 
 are fertile in inventions, and a machine was soon 
 rigged up to transport us from one craft to 
 the other. An arm-chair was slung through a 
 block at the yard-arm, and a rope, attached to the 
 bottom of the seat, was thrown to the crew of 
 the hooker, who, by its means, were enabled to 
 guide the chair to their boat, keeping it tolerably 
 steady on the way as soon as it was hoisted a 
 sufficient height from the deck of the ship. 
 
 The tackle altogether was very ingenious ; but 
 at the same time the transit from one vessel to 
 the other in it was rather a ticklish affair. Fortu- 
 nately, Mrs. Greenwood was blessed with pretty 
 strong nerves ; so much so, that she never troubled 
 any one else with her fears, however hazardous the 
 situations in which she might be placed. I seated 
 myself first in the chair, and was soon on board 
 the hooker. The abyss of roaring sea that 
 intervened between the craft, and which appeared 
 very broad when one was suspended in mid air 
 above it, was, however, rather a fearful sight, and 
 I felt anxious while my wife was undergoing the 
 passage. But it was very well managed, and she 
 
328 AN IRISH HOOKER. 
 
 was hauled on board the hooker without accident. 
 The servant and baggage having followed, we 
 were cast off, and proceeded on our course, being 
 about forty miles distant from our port. 
 
 The hooker was an open boat used for fishing, 
 and having a crew of six sturdy Paddys. The 
 spray flew fast and thick over us as she stood 
 towards the land against a rough head sea, and I 
 was fain to get my wife under cover in a small 
 place resembling a dog kennel, which was built 
 under the bowsprit, and into which it was neces- 
 sary to crawl on all fours. Inside, there was room 
 enough to lie down, but not to sit upright. In it 
 were kept all the stores of the boat, including a 
 vast quantity of potatoes. Over these some 
 straw had been laid, on which the fishermen had 
 arranged our bedding which we had brought from 
 the ship ; and, with the natural kindness of their 
 countrymen, they made most anxious inquiries 
 as to whether the "misthress" was comfortable, 
 very frequently, after she had managed to creep in. 
 
 As the night advanced, we began to get very 
 hungry, not having had time to eat any dinner on 
 board the ship during the bustle of packing up 
 our things and departing. No sooner had I men- 
 
AN IRISH HOOKER. 329 
 
 tioned this fact, than the crew of the hooker 
 immediately putting a large iron pot on the fire, 
 that burned in the centre of the boat, and round 
 which they were huddled, the night being very 
 cold, commenced boiling some potatoes for us. 
 They had also a mackarel on board, which they 
 had caught some days before and salted. This 
 was likewise put on the fire, and in a short time 
 every thing being ready, we had a fine feast on these 
 homely viands. Plates, knives or forks, they had 
 none, and probably knew not the use of such 
 things. We had, therefore, to use our fingers, 
 which the old proverb says, were made before 
 spoons ; and I must say that I never enjoyed a 
 supper more in my life. The potatoes were 
 beautiful and capitally boiled, the kind and hearty 
 welcome of these poor Irishmen being sufficient 
 of itself to have made even homelier food palatable. 
 The solicitude which they displayed in providing 
 for our wants, and pressing us to eat more of the 
 food which, I dare say, was often scarce enough 
 among them, went home to the heart. I had often 
 heard of the hospitality and kind-heartedness of the 
 lower order of Irish, and it was gratifying in the ex- 
 treme to see these virtues so fully exemplified on the 
 
330 AN IRISH HOOKER. 
 
 first occasion on which I had come into contact 
 with them. 
 
 These men had all taken the temperance pledge ; 
 and I, for one, can bear witness how much they 
 respected it. The night was bitterly cold, and a 
 sharp driving sleet which flew thickly upon the 
 fishermen who had no cover from it, must have 
 rendered their situation one of extreme hardship. 
 I had brought a couple of bottles of brandy with 
 me from the ship, and I offered it to them in 
 order to keep the cold out. To my utter surprise, 
 they resolutely declined touching it, saying that 
 they had taken the vow, and never tasted spirits 
 by any chance. I was much astonished at their 
 steady refusal, and, had I not myself witnessed 
 this fact, I should have been unwilling to believe 
 it, knowing from my experience of the army, 
 where three-fifths or more of the soldiers are 
 from the sister isle, that drink is the Irishman's 
 curse, and the one which he finds it most difficult 
 to resist. In my own regiment I have seen many, 
 many soldiers, superior men in every way, who 
 had no fault but a taste for the bottle, and whom 
 that one unfortunate failing always prevented from 
 filling any situation of trust. Common soldiers 
 
KINSALE. 331 
 
 they remained, or if promoted^ were broken again 
 almost immediately. 
 
 The next day, we got into the harbour of Kin- 
 sale, and I was much struck by the beauty of the 
 view at the entrance. The scenery is most en- 
 chanting, and quite rivals that of the Cove of Cork v 
 We lost no time in landing, and, after having 
 passed our things through the custom house, 
 sat down to a most plentiful breakfast at one of 
 the nicest little hotels I ever entered. I gave all 
 my bedding, blankets, and cabin furniture which 
 I had brought from the ship, to the fishermen, 
 who had behaved so well to us ; and, in addition, 
 gave them a carte blanche to enjoy all the good 
 things in the larder of the hotel, a privilege of which 
 they availed themselves to a surprising extent. By 
 the enormous quantity of provisions which they 
 demolished, they gave evident tokens of having 
 highly approved of the quality of mine host's fare. 
 
 Kinsaie is a remarkably pretty town, delight- 
 fully situated, about nine miles from Cork. Had 
 I a few months to spare, I do not know any place 
 which I would sooner revisit. I regretted, while 
 there, that I was obliged to depart so soon, but 
 finding that a steamer was to leave Cork the 
 
332 FINE SCENERY. 
 
 same day on which I landed, it was necessary to 
 quit without delay. 
 
 Accordingly, I hired two jaunting cars, on one 
 of which, I packed my baggage, and the other was 
 occupied by Mrs. Greenwood and myself. Our 
 charioteers smacked their whips and rattled away 
 in first-rate style, being, doubtless, stimulated in 
 their exertions by floating visions of certain mea- 
 sures of whisky, with which I had promised to 
 reward them, in case they should arrive in time 
 for us to secure a passage in the steam boat. 
 
 The scenery of the road between Kinsale and 
 Cork is remarkably picturesque and beautiful, 
 and well worth a visit to Ireland. We had no 
 time to lose in admiring it, or I should decidedly 
 have spent some hours on the way. We arrived 
 at Cork just as the steamer was about to start, 
 and were thus fortunate enough to save our pas- 
 sage, which, had we been a minute later, would 
 have been lost. 
 
 Those who have never been in Ireland, and 
 who are fond of fine scenery, I recommend to go to 
 Bristol, and, taking the steamer thence to Cork, 
 they will be delighted by a series of beautiful 
 little views, which I do not believe to be equalled 
 
AN IRISH STEAMER. 333 
 
 anywhere. I have travelled over a great part of 
 the globe myself, but in the matter of scenery, 
 I never was so much gratified as on this, my first 
 visit, to the emerald isle. 
 
 The accommodation on board was tolerable, 
 and we had a good many fellow-passengers in the 
 saloon. Vast quantities of pigs filled up the main 
 deck, while the fore part of the vessel was crowded 
 with some as rich specimens of the lower order of 
 Irish as were ever imported. What they could be 
 going to England for, I could not imagine ; but a 
 merrier set of fellows I never beheld. I am sure 
 that the most conscientious Jew who ever cried 
 " auld clowsh !" would not have given five shillings 
 for the whole wardrobe of these te pisantry ;" yet 
 they were all in the best humour, and in as high 
 spirits as if they were 
 
 Monarchs of all they surveyed ; 
 instead, poor wretches, of being in want of the 
 common necessaries of life ! 
 
 A great annoyance on board the steam-boat 
 which, I believe, is common to all those craft from 
 Ireland, was a marvellous ill savour from the 
 swine with which the deck was lumbered. It 
 penetrated every part of the vessel, and I was 
 
334 AN ACCIDENT. 
 
 surprised that such a nuisance should exist on 
 board passage boats of this class. Most people 
 are sick enough at sea, without such an adjunct 
 to their delights as the odour of a pig-stye. 
 
 Until we arrived within a few miles of our desti- 
 nation^ the excursion was pleasant enough. All 
 the passengers were collected on deck, admiring the 
 scenery, and discussing the merits of the various 
 hotels at Bristol, when suddenly a violent explosion, 
 succeeded by eight or ten others in rapid succession, 
 struck a panic among them. A vast column of 
 steam rose from the hatchways, followed by a rush 
 of the "pisantry 5 ' from the fore part of the vessel, 
 where the boiling water was flying about in all 
 directions. Such a scene of confusion I never 
 beheld women shrieking, some on their knees 
 crossing and blessing themselves, the men swear- 
 ing, and the porkers squeaking in most inharmo- 
 nious medley. It was very evident that the 
 boiler had burst and injured the vessel conside- 
 rably, as she immediately heeled over on one side ; 
 and, had not three steamers at once arrived to her 
 assistance, I have no doubt but that she would 
 have gone down. One of the assisting boats was 
 made fast on each side of our disabled craft, while 
 
RAILWAY TRAVELLING. 335 
 
 the other took her in tow, in which condition 
 we made our way to Bristol. 
 
 Providential, indeed, was it for us that the 
 accident did not occur in the open sea, where 
 assistance could not have been procured ! As it 
 was, the only passengers that suffered any incon- 
 venience, were our friends the pigs, some twenty 
 or thirty of which had been scalded to death 
 when the explosion took place. 
 
 We arrived at Bristol about nine o'clock at 
 night, and, after having taken some tea at an 
 hotel there, we ensconced ourselves in the twelve 
 o'clock night train for London. I had never seen 
 a railway before, and the velocity of the travelling, 
 together with the easiness of the carriages sur- 
 prised me much. I could not help contrasting in 
 my own mind the difference between the English 
 mode of getting over the ground and the Indian 
 dak, by which I had travelled so many hundred 
 miles during my journey homeward. We 
 reached London in four hours ; and, taking a cab, 
 in a very short time we were set down before my 
 mother's house. 
 
 How well I had remembered its aspect, since 
 I left it to commence my career in India ! I paused 
 
336 ARRIVAL AT HOME. 
 
 for a moment before I knocked for admittance, 
 and could hardly persuade myself that nearly 
 eight years had really passed away since I saw it 
 last, while the events and scenes which I had 
 gone through seemed to float before me like a 
 vision of the night. Outside the house every 
 thing appeared exactly the same as on the day of 
 my departure, and yet within, alas, how many 
 changes had taken place ! The delight which 
 overflowed my heart at the idea of again embracing 
 the survivors of my family was checked by the 
 sad thoughts of those who were laid low in the 
 cold grave ! 
 
 At the early hour of the morning at which we 
 arrived, the servants were all in bed, and I had 
 to make a pretty continued noise at the door 
 before we could obtain admittance. At last, we got 
 in, and, rushing up stairs to my mother's room, in 
 a moment I was encircled in her arms. 
 
 The first piece of intelligence that I heard 
 was, that I was still in the 31st regiment. I had 
 written from India to my mother on the first 
 receipt of the news of her having obtained an 
 exchange for me into the 34th, acquainting her 
 
ARRIVAL AT HOME. 337 
 
 that I did not like it at all, having no wish to 
 leave the corps with which I had served in many- 
 eventful scenes. No sooner did my letter arrive, 
 than she forwarded it to the Horse Guards, and 
 the Commander in Chief, on the circumstances 
 being explained to him, was kind enough to cancel 
 the appointment, leaving me in my old place. 
 
338 REMARKS ON INDIA. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 SUPPLEMENTARY. 
 
 Remarks on India The Indian army Native regiments 
 Singular feat Lieutenant Mayne Horse artillery 
 Captain Abbot's troop Foot artillery Costume and 
 payPenurious system The Sepoys Local Corps 
 Officer's pensions Pay of officers A subaltern's ex- 
 penses " Boat allowance" Troops in the Presidencies 
 Anglo-Indian Army The Seiks The Zemindars Affairs 
 of the Punjab Hopes for the future. 
 
 A few years ago, little curiosity existed among 
 the generality of people in ^England, respecting 
 the affairs of the Indian empire, unless they hap- 
 pened to be connected in business with traders 
 there. Even when families had members of their 
 own blood in the service of the East India Com- 
 pany, they hardly knew what situations they filled, 
 
THE INDIAN ARMY. 339 
 
 or what duties they performed, but supposed that 
 their chief employments in India were riding in a 
 palanquin, eating curry, and smoking a hookah. 
 
 Since my return to England, I have met with 
 many people who have been most anxious to gain 
 information as to the resources and military powers 
 of the British in India, and I have, therefore, given 
 a sketch of the different branches of the Anglo- 
 Indian army, describing their various customs and 
 avocations, their mode of living, their pay, and other 
 particulars. I have done this in the form of a 
 supplement, that those of my readers who care 
 not for such things, may have a fair excuse for 
 leaving unread that which does not interest them. 
 
 The European portion of the Company's army is 
 composed of horse artillery, foot artillery, and in- 
 fantry. Of these corps, those of the horse artillery 
 consist of the finest-looking men. To account for 
 this, I have heard that the first pick of the recruits 
 who are sent out on the Company's establishment 
 falls to the share of this branch of the service. The 
 foot artillery have the next choice, and the regi- 
 ments of infantry the last. In Bengal, there are 
 nine troops of horse artillery, five battalions of 
 foot artillery of five companies each ; one corps 
 
 q2 
 
340 NATIVE REGIMENTS. 
 
 of engineers, two regiments of infantry, and one 
 of sappers and miners, which compose the whole 
 of the European force in the service of the Com- 
 pany in that presidency. There are, in addition 
 to the Europeans, four troops of Native horse 
 artillery and two battalions of Native foot artillery, 
 of ten companies each. 
 
 The bulk of the force is composed of natives. 
 Of these there are eleven regiments of regular 
 cavalry, seventy-four regiments of infantry of the 
 line, with eight corps of irregular horse, and various 
 contingents and local corps. The regiments of 
 regular cavalry are very fine looking men, and well 
 mounted ; but I do not think them equal to the 
 irregulars. The regular troops are armed like our 
 dragoons, and have saddles and bridles of the 
 English pattern which, I think, renders them much 
 less effective than they would be if they were fur- 
 nished with their own national weapons, (in which 
 they have more confidence) and if they had their 
 horses caparisoned in the Hindostanee manner. 
 The irregular cavalry are all mounted and armed in 
 the native fashion, and some of the feats which 
 these wild riders perform are very extraordinary. 
 
 They will gallop on horse- back, at full speed, 
 
SINGULAR FEAT. 341 
 
 past a bottle placed on the ground at a considerable 
 distance from them, and then throwing the reins 
 on their chargers' neck, will turn round and 
 fire their long matchlocks at the bottle, and 
 often break it with a single ball. Another singular 
 feat which they are in the habit of performing, 
 is to take up a tent peg, driven deep into the 
 earth, on the point of a spear. The horseman at 
 a given signal, lays his spear in rest, charges 
 in full career at the tent peg; and, burying the 
 point in the wood, it is seldom that he will fail to 
 get it out of the ground, and take it away upon 
 his lance. They can throw themselves under 
 their horses' bellies, or hang down on one side by 
 the mane, and perform a great variety of feats of 
 the same kind, while their steeds are going at 
 full speed. Many of them galloping past a brass 
 lotah,* will throw themselves out of their sad- 
 dles ; and, hanging by one hand on their horse's 
 neck, with a single stroke of their tulwarf in the 
 
 * Vessels which are used by the natives when drinking 
 water. 
 
 f A native sword. Those weapons used by the irregulars 
 are generally of exquisite temper, and are highly valued 
 by them, having perhaps been in their families for several 
 generations. 
 
342 LIEUTENANT MAYNE. 
 
 other, will cut the vessel in two pieces, and swing 
 themselves into their seats again, without checking 
 their charger's speed. 
 
 On the slippery English saddle, it would be 
 impossible for these men to perform tricks of the 
 kind; but those they use being covered with a 
 number of cloths put on in a peculiar manner, 
 it would be difficult for them to be thrown out of 
 their seats, while the bits which they employ are 
 so severe, that they can stop their horses short 
 when going at full speed with the greatest ease. 
 
 These irregular corps form a totally distinct 
 branch of the service from the regular cavalry, being 
 often commanded by infantry officers. When they 
 like their commanders, they will attempt any en- 
 terprize, however desperate. There was an officer 
 in the Jellalabad garrison, who made himself very 
 conspicuous in many most daring and desperate 
 attacks on the enemy when they were in immea- 
 surably superior force, during the time that Sir 
 Robert Sale and his gallant band were besieged 
 by Akbar Khan. This gentleman was Lieutenant 
 Mayne ; he belonged, I believe, to a regiment of 
 native infantry, but held the command of some 
 irregular cavalry. He was an excellent horseman, 
 
HORSE ARTILLERY. 343 
 
 and commonly rode a large powerful pale-coloured 
 steed, on which he had led so many daring charges, 
 and cut down so many of the enemy with his own 
 hand, that he was known by the soubriquet of 
 " Death on the pale horse." Sure enough, where- 
 ever the pale horse was seen, numbers of the enemy 
 quickly bit the dust. I heard that the AfFghans 
 knew him so well at last, that no matter what 
 their superiority of force might be if they caught 
 sight of Mayne on his conspicuous charger, they 
 would go to the right-about at once, and never risk 
 an encounter, if there was a chance of getting away. 
 The European horse artillery are splendid- 
 looking troops, and the officers a very superior 
 set of men, who know their duty thoroughly. 
 Their practice is excellent, and I do not think it 
 could be surpassed any/where. On service, how- 
 ever, there is a great fault with the Bengal horse 
 artillery. The men, who are of the largest size 
 and of great weight, even without their heavy 
 accoutrements, ride on all the horses which are 
 harnessed in the guns. This is decidedly bad. 
 In the first place, the horses bred in Hindostan 
 are not powerful enough to drag the cannon with 
 such heavy weights on their backs ; and, secondly, 
 
344 CAPTAIN ABBOT'S TROOP. 
 
 it is impossible for each pair of horses to act 
 simultaneously with different hands guiding them, 
 when urging them to any particularly strenuous 
 exertion, in consequence of the guns sticking 
 fast in hollows, or among rocks. The system in 
 the Bombay service is much better; with their 
 guns, there are light men who ride the near horse 
 of each pair, and drive the other in precisely the 
 same way as a postilion drives a post-chaise. 
 The consequence is, that the Bombay guns will 
 go up hills and through difficult places unassisted, 
 while those of Bengal could not move through 
 without having strong fatigue-parties from the 
 infantry to drag them along. This advantage, 
 however, I believe to be the only one which the 
 Bombay artillery has over that of Bengal. 
 
 The most effective troop which we had with us 
 in Affghanistan was that commanded by Captain 
 Abbot, which was equipped on a system of his 
 own. He had Affghan horses, which are accus- 
 tomed to privations of every kind from their 
 being colts ; and these were ridden by light natives, 
 so that the greater part of their strength was 
 husbanded for the work of dragging the can- 
 non. Instead of carrying his shot and ammuni- 
 
FOOT ARTILLERY. 345 
 
 tion on heavy tumbrils, which were the most 
 unwieldly and troublesome things imaginable, 
 frequently delaying us hours and hours while they 
 were being drawn up the steep ascents by the 
 soldiers, Captain Abbot had all his stores car- 
 ried in small boxes, slung in pairs on the backs of 
 horses on pack-saddles, and seated above them on 
 each horse, a gunner who, being of light weight, 
 did not with the addition of the shot boxes make 
 a load which the animal was not perfectly able to 
 carry. The consequence was, that this troop 
 would go full gallop up hills without fatigue- 
 parties at all from the infantry, where it required 
 many hours of painful toil to drag up the other 
 guns. 
 
 The guns of the foot artillery are most of them 
 drawn up by bullocks, which have a most gro- 
 tesque look, and I believe they are very much 
 objected to by the officers, many of whom I 
 have heard complain most sadly of them. In 
 other respects, nothing could surpass the effi- 
 ciency of the Company's foot artillery. They 
 are constantly exercised, and their practice is 
 not to be surpassed. I should imagine that they 
 will be provided with horses before long, instead 
 
 Q 3 
 
346 DISCIPLINE AND COSTUME. 
 
 of the bullocks which they now have, and which 
 are not only very liable to get footsore on a 
 long march, but from their obstinacy are difficult 
 to manage. I much wonder that the government 
 have continued using them so long, and can only 
 account for it on the score of a misjudged economy. 
 
 The European regiments of infantry are armed, 
 accoutred, and disciplined in a precisely similar 
 manner to those of the royal army, from which it 
 would be difficult to distinguish them. They 
 have invariably upheld the character of British 
 soldiers whenever they have been on service, and 
 on several occasions have greatly signalized them- 
 selves. 
 
 The native regiments of the line are dressed 
 as nearly as possible like the Europeans, but 
 wear no leather peaks in front of their chacos, 
 it being I believe against their caste to do so ; 
 and, instead of leather stocks about their necks, 
 they wear a small band of cowries.* The native 
 officers are distinguished by having strings of large 
 gold beads, instead of the cowries. The sepoys, 
 as the privates are called, are recruited from the 
 
 * Small white shells. 
 
PAY AND PROMOTION. 347 
 
 best class of natives, no man of inferior caste 
 being admitted. In some corps, they have very 
 fine-looking men, many of them measuring six 
 feet three or four inches in height. The pay 
 of a sepoy is seven rupees a month. This allow- 
 ance is increased after long service, and they get 
 something extra when on the march. In India, 
 where the rate of wages is very low, this pay 
 is considered handsome, and consequently the 
 very best castes of men offer themselves as re- 
 cruits to the Company's army. There is one 
 custom in the native regiments which I have heard 
 much disapproved of by the officers. It is the 
 promotion of men by seniority to the non-com- 
 missioned ranks, and not by merit. The conse- 
 quence is, that the men holding the higher ranks 
 of native officers are so old as to be of little 
 use. With us it is different : merit is the test 
 of promotion in the non-commissioned ranks and 
 not length of service ; by which means a spirit 
 of emulation is raised in the breast of the young 
 soldier, which would not exist if he felt that 
 he could only rise in his profession as his hair 
 grew gray. 
 
 There is another penurious system of the 
 
348 THE SEPOYS. 
 
 Indian government which is a great drawback 
 to the efficiency of the native infantry. They 
 have not half so many European officers attached 
 to each regiment as they ought to have ; and 
 even of the small number which are the Com- 
 pany's regulation, the greater part are absent 
 from their corps holding staff situations, while 
 it is no uncommon thing for a young ensign of a 
 couple of years 5 service to have the command 
 of two companies of his regiment, and be the 
 only European officer with them. How is it 
 possible that the youth, however well intentioned, 
 should understand and enter into the various feel- 
 ings and prejudices, which are so many and 
 peculiar among the native soldiery ; or how 
 inspire them with that sentiment of devotion to 
 himself which is so necessary ? The sepoy looks 
 up to an officer who understands him with feel- 
 ings of absolute veneration ; and numberless in- 
 stances are on record of his having laid down 
 his life without regret to save a superior who 
 had gained his affection, or failing in that, has 
 died with him. 
 
 The sepoys do not live in barracks as the Euro- 
 pean soldiers, nor have they any habitation found 
 
THE SEPOYS. 349 
 
 them by government. They build villages of 
 huts at each station to which they are sent, 
 in which they live with their families, while 
 their arms and accoutrements are kept in small 
 houses of puckah* work, which are erected by 
 the Company. A line of these bells of arms is 
 to be seen on each sepoy parade ground, while the 
 arms of the European soldiers are kept in racks in 
 their barracks. Neither do the sepoys ever wear 
 their uniform, excepting when on duty. They 
 always appear, save on those occasions, in their 
 own costume, but are easily distinguished from the 
 other natives by their superior size, cleanliness 
 and soldier- like deportment. I believe it would 
 be against their caste to cook their dinners with 
 their uniforms on; and, in consequence of this 
 prejudice, which they would rather die than 
 violate, many of the sepoys belonging to the regi- 
 ments which accompanied us to Cabul, not having 
 time to take their clothes off on the road in order 
 to prepare their food, eat nothing for upwards of 
 a fortnight but parched gram,f a quantity of 
 which they had provided at Jellalabad for the 
 purpose. 
 
 * Brick. f A kind of pea. 
 
350 LOCAL CORPS. 
 
 If suddenly required, I should think that these 
 seventy-four regiments of Bengal native infantry 
 could each bring, on an average, about seven hun- 
 dred effective bayonets into the field, making due 
 allowance for sick, &c, &c. In addition to this 
 large force of infantry in Bengal, there are the 
 following local corps, which, I believe, are most of 
 them equal to the regular regiments : 
 
 The Calcutta native militia. 
 
 The Ramghur light infantry battalion. 
 
 The Hill Rangers. 
 
 The Nusseeree battalion. 
 
 The Sermoar battalion. 
 
 The Kemaoon battalion. 
 
 The Assam light infantry. 
 
 The Mhairwarrah local battalion. 
 
 The Sylhet light infantry battalion. 
 
 1st. Assam Sebundy corps. 
 
 2nd. Assam Sebundy corps. 
 
 The Hurrianah light infantry battalion. 
 
 The Nimaur Bheel corps. 
 
 The Malwah Bheel corps. 
 
 Several military police battalions. 
 
 European invalid veteran company. 
 
 
THE ROYAL ARMY. 351 
 
 1st. Oude local infantry. 
 2nd Oude local infantry. 
 The Jaudpore legion. 
 The Bundlekund legion. 
 
 In Bengal, there is also at present a large and 
 very effective force of the royal army. It is 
 composed of the following corps : 
 
 H.M. 3rd. light dragoons. 
 
 H.M. 16th. lancers. 
 
 H.M. 3rd. regiment of foot. 
 
 H.M. 9th. regiment of foot. 
 
 H.M. 10th. do. 
 
 H.M. 29th. do. 
 
 H.M. 31st. do. 
 
 H.M. 39th. do. 
 
 H.M. 40th. do. 
 
 H.M. 50th. do. 
 
 H.M. 62nd. do. 
 
 The officers of the Company's army do not 
 purchase their commissions as is the case in the 
 royal service, but rise progressively by seniority. 
 
352 PAY OF OFFICERS. 
 
 After twenty years' service, they are entitled to 
 retire on the full pay of the rank they hold, if 
 above that of Captain. Should they unluckily be 
 still subalterns, after so long a service, they are 
 nevertheless entitled to a Captain's pension, 
 which is a very considerate arrangement of the 
 Court of Directors, as their officers services 
 would be very badly requited if government 
 gave them a less pension than that of a Cap- 
 tain. The pay of an ensign on full batta and 
 tentage is two hundred and two rupees a month ; 
 that of a lieutenant is two hundred and fifty-six 
 rupees; a captain's four hundred and sixty, in- 
 cluding the contingent allowance of fifty rupees 
 for a company. A major receives seven hundred, 
 and a lieutenant-colonel between fourteen and 
 fifteen hundred, including four hundred rupees 
 command allowance. 
 
 The officers of the royal army receive the same 
 pay while in India as those of the Company's 
 service; and a man of tolerable prudence may 
 always make shift to live on it, although as a 
 subaltern it is rather pinching work, the expenses 
 which must be incurred being so much more than 
 they are in any other country. The great num- 
 
A SUBALTERN'S EXPENSES. 
 
 353 
 
 ber of servants which it is necessary to keep 
 
 constitute a large item in the monthly expenses, 
 which are for a subaltern's establishment on a 
 moderate scale, as follow : 
 
 Messing and wine bill . . 60 Rs. 
 Share of bungalow rent, (suppos- 
 ing two officers live together) . 25 
 Kitmutgar, table attendant . 8 
 Mussalchee, torch bearer and scullion 4 
 Sirdar bearer, house attendant . 6 
 Chokedar, or watchman . 4 
 Bheesty, or water-carrier . 4 
 Dhobee, or washerman . 6 
 Syce, or groom ... 6 
 Two grasscutters ... 8 
 Mahter, or scavenger . 4 
 Classie, or tent-pitcher . 6 
 During eight months in the year, four 
 coolies for pulling the punkah and 
 watering tatties* . . . 16 
 
 Total 157 Rs. 
 * Frames made of a kind of grass, which being fitted 
 into the doors of a bungalow during the prevalence of the 
 hot winds are kept constantly wet, by coolies employed for 
 the purpose, and which have the effect of cooling the hot 
 air that passes through them into the house. 
 
354 BOAT ALLOWANCE. 
 
 This scale of expenditure, which, be it observed, 
 is a very moderate one, will, therefore, leave an 
 ensign an overplus of a few rupees a month, which 
 it may be presumed will, with strict economy, be 
 enough to feed his horse, pay for his clothes, and 
 other incidental expenses. When the lieutenantcy 
 is obtained, the extra fifty rupees a month that 
 are added to his pay, will give the young officer 
 the means of much increasing his amusements 
 and comforts. It is very hard work for an en- 
 sign to make both ends meet j but a lieutenant 
 can manage very well. 
 
 When a young officer arrives for the first time 
 in India, he is allowed a sum of money by Govern- 
 ment, which is termed "boat allowance," to pay his 
 expenses on the way to join his regiment, if up the 
 country, the usual means of doing which is by 
 water. This, however, is barely enough for the 
 purpose, and he cannot fit himself out with a good 
 horse, a tent, and other necessaries, for less than 
 one hundred pounds. This sum he should have in 
 his pocket when commencing his career in India, 
 in order to keep clear from debt, which is the 
 ruin of many promising young men, who, once 
 in the clutches of the money-lending blood- 
 
TROOPS IN THE PRESIDENCIES. 355 
 
 suckers with whom the East abounds, are never 
 again able to extricate themselves from their 
 difficulties. 
 
 In addition to the large force in the service of 
 the East India Company in Bengal, there are 
 also a great number of troops in the presidencies 
 of Bombay and Madras. They are as follow : 
 
 BOMBAY PRESIDENCY. 
 ROYAL ARMY. 
 
 H.M. 14th. light dragoons. 
 H.M. 2nd. regiment of foot. 
 H.M. 13th. do. 
 H.M. 17th. do. 
 H.M. 22nd. do. 
 H.M. 28th. do. 
 H.M. 78th. do. 
 H.M. 86th. do. 
 
 company's troops. 
 One brigade of European horse artillery. 
 Two battalions of European foot artillery. 
 One native do. 
 Engineers. 
 
 Three regiments of native regular cavalry. 
 Two regiments of European infantry. 
 
356 ANGLO-INDIAN ARMY. 
 
 Twenty-six regiments of native infantry. 
 Marine battalion. 
 
 Three regiments of irregular cavalry. 
 And some local corps. 
 
 MADRAS. 
 ROYAL ARMY. 
 
 H.M. 15th. hussars. 
 H.M. 4th. regiment of foot. 
 H.M. 21st. fusileers. 
 H.M. 25th. regiment. 
 H.M. 57th. do. 
 H.M. 63rd. do. 
 H.M. 84th. do. 
 H.M. 94th. do. 
 
 company's troops. 
 One corps horse artillery. 
 Four battalions of European foot artillery. 
 1 company gun lascars. 
 Engineers. 
 Sappers and miners. 
 Two regiments of European infantry. 
 Eight regiments of native cavalry. 
 Fifty-two regiments of native infantry. 
 Two companies of European veterans. 
 Two battalions of native veterans. 
 
THE SEIKS. 357 
 
 Few persons in England with whom I have 
 ever conversed on Indian affairs have had the 
 slightest idea that the Anglo-Indian army was on 
 so large a scale. Surprising, indeed, is it, and 
 well may surrounding nations admire the com- 
 mercial prosperity of England when it is remem- 
 bered that this vast force of well-disciplined and 
 hardy troops is kept up entirely by a company of 
 merchants who, by their means, have obtained 
 possession of so extensive and valuable an empire 
 in the East ! The dominion over which the East 
 India Company holds sway, is indeed great; 
 but, to secure our peaceable possession of it, we 
 must have more. We must never stand still in 
 India. Our only plan is to advance, but not to 
 such countries as Affghanistan, so remote and so 
 worthless. 
 
 The rich plains of the Punjab, irrigated as they 
 are by five rivers, that fatten the fertile soil with 
 their waters, while they afford easy means of 
 transport, are a prize worth grasping at. Should 
 the British take possession of the government 
 which the Seiks are unworthy and unable to 
 hold, the native population would be benefited be- 
 yond measure. The Punjabees are on all occasions 
 
 4 
 
358 THE ZEMINDARS. 
 
 tyrannized over by their insolent and overbearing 
 masters, and the fact of a man's accumulating 
 wealth by means of his honest industry is enough 
 to seal his fate. The avaricious Seiks are sure to 
 lay hold of some pretext, however unjust, in 
 order to plunder him of his riches, nor is it im- 
 probable that his life may be sacrificed to their 
 rapacity. 
 
 The advance of British troops across the 
 Sutledge would be hailed with delight by the 
 poor wretches who are groaning under the yoke 
 of the Seik invaders. These rulers have no more 
 right to the country than we have, theirs being only 
 that of conquest which, of course, holds good no 
 longer than they are able to sustain it by the sword. 
 
 Whilst I was marching through the country, on 
 the return of the army from Cabul, I had many 
 conversations with the Zemindars and influential 
 people who inhabited the villages that lay in our 
 route. In that part of the Punjab which lies 
 between the Jhelum and Peshawur, these people 
 were particularly hostile towards the Seiks, and 
 their invariable question to us, after the first salu- 
 tation, was, (s When are you going to invade the 
 Punjab, now that the Cabul campaign is brought to 
 
AFFAIRS OF THE PUNJAB. 359 
 
 a satisfactory conclusion ?" They added, that no 
 sooner should a British force cross the Sutledge 
 en route to Lahore, than all the inhabitants of 
 the north would rise en masse against the Seiks ; 
 that they could easily master them, the Fort of 
 Attok, and a few other fortresses being all the hold 
 which they had over the country ; and that the 
 spirit of the inhabitants being most hostile to 
 them, they would cut off their provisions, if they 
 could not overcome them in the field. 
 
 There is another powerful inducement for us to 
 take possession of the Punjab, in addition to the 
 value of the territory itself. It is the wonderful 
 moral effect which our beating the Seiks would 
 have upon the inhabitants of India generally, both 
 our own subjects and those of independent princes. 
 The natives themselves have prodigious ideas of 
 the power of the Seiks, and are inclined to believe 
 that, in the event of a struggle, they would be 
 successful. The prosperous termination, therefore, 
 of a war with the masters of the Punjab, of which 
 there could be no doubt, would have the effect of 
 convincing them, that, the British being really 
 invincible, it would be useless for any nation, 
 however powerful and warlike, to risk a contest, 
 
360 HOPES FOR THE FUTURE. 
 
 since it would surely end in their being obliged to 
 succumb to our superior prowess. 
 
 It is fortunate that at this crisis of affairs in 
 India, the helm of government is held by so able 
 a hand. Under Lord EllenborougVs firm and 
 clear-sighted rule, we shall hear of no such ex- 
 hibitions of folly and disaster as unfortunately 
 took place in Afghanistan. His government 
 commenced with a career of victory which has 
 been ominous of future glory to the British name. 
 He has the thorough confidence of the troops, 
 who well know that when the right moment 
 arrives, he will open new scenes of honour and 
 conquest to them ; and I doubt not, that the 
 hour is at hand when the British standard will 
 float triumphant at Lahore, and when to our 
 late victories in AfFghanistan, Scinde, and China, 
 will be added the profitable conquest of the 
 Punjab. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 Printed by Schulze and Co., 13, Poland Street. 
 
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